May 18, 2007

Top seed California Baptist defeats Virginia-Wise 10-1 in the opening game of the 2007 NAIA Softball National Championship

DECATUR, Ala. - Top seed California Baptist University connected on four home runs as the Lancers defeated the University of Virginia's College at Wise 10-1 in the first game of the 2007 NAIA Softball National Championship Friday (May 18) morning at Wilson Morgan Park.

The Lancers, improved to 53-3 overall and to 1-0 in the Pool A competition. The Region XI Champion Cavaliers fell to 32-24 and to 0-1. CBU returns to pool-play action at 2 p.m. today against Dickinson State University while Va.-Wise will entertain the University of Mobile at 4:30 p.m.

California Baptist took a 3-0 lead in the fourth as Nikki Lowe, who went 3-for-4 with 4 RBI, led off the fourth with the first of her two homers in the game. Geanie Jenkins followed with a double to left-center and later scored on Cassandrah Carreon's single to center. Carreon would score on a suicide squeeze by Shawna Rainwater.

The Lancers added a run in the fifth on Chantal Millard's home run to right field. Va.-Wise got the run back in its half of the inning on a RBI single by Britney Lawson,

CBU took control of the game with three runs each in the sixth and seventh innings, courtesy of  the long ball. Moore was responsible for all the runs in the sixth on her three-run homer to left field while Lowe did the same with her three-run blast to the left.

Candice Thomas earned the win and improved to 29-1 while Amanda Wheeler Sims (14-11) absorbed the loss for the Cavaliers.