May 22, 2010

DECATUR, Ala. - Lubbock Christian (Texas) and Bethel (Ind.) were victorious in Pool D action on the second day of the 2010 NAIA Softball National Championship at Wilson Morgan Softball Complex Saturday.

Lubbock Christian moved to 2-0 in pool play action and 54-6 overall after defeating Morningside (Iowa) 5-1. The Mustangs season mark fell to 40-9 and 0-2 in pool play with the loss.

The game went scoreless until the top of the sixth inning when Kirsten Dargy homered over the left-field wall to give the Mustangs a 1-0 lead.

LCU's offense ignited, posting five runs in the bottom half of the frame. Kim Frazier opened the rally with a walk and then advanced to second off of a single by Kayla Van Dieren. Priscilla FaGaines doubled to left-center, scoring both Frazier and Van Dieren to put Lubbock Christian up 2-1. Two batters later, Clarissa Maldonado doubled to left-center to send home FaGaines for a 3-1 Lady Chaps advantage. Cindy Hernandez came in to pinch run for Maldonado and scored off of an Amanda Parsons' double to right-center. Brittany Larsen entered to run for Parsons and scored to give Lubbock Christian its fifth and final run of the game on a single by pinch hitter Loren Phelps, who was in for Amanda Myers.

LCU senior hurler Alyssa Gutierrez retired the side in the top of the seventh to seal the 5-1 win for the Lady Chaps.

Gutierrez threw her second complete game of the championship, holding Morningside to just one earned run on two hits with nine strikeouts and walked one. Mustang senior Kelly Baumert took her second loss in Decatur, giving up five earned runs on six hits in six innings of work. She walked one and struck out six in the effort.

Katie Boocher's sixth-inning single to right-center to bring around Holly Weaver lifted Bethel past IU Southeast 1-0. Bethel, now 2-0 in the pool and 47-7 overall, scattered five hits off of losing pitcher Kayla Duke. Senior pitcher Kelli Zache tossed a no-hitter for the Pilots. She struck out eight Grenadiers.

IU Southeast (33-13, 1-1) had its only base runner of the game in the top of the seventh inning. Shana Andres made it to first base on a wild throw by Zache to open the frame, but Andres was stranded after Tara Denzik struck out, a foul ball by Nicole Mills was caught and Allie Alford went down swinging.

Boocher and Kaitlyn Dubois each had a pair of hits for Bethel in the contest and Weaver recorded a hit.

Pool play will conclude on Monday with Pool D featuring Morningside and IU Southeast at 11:30 a.m followed by Lubbock Christian taking on Bethel at 4:30 p.m.