Lynchburg Wins ODAC
Softball Title
Defeats VWC
for Automatic Bid into NCAA’s
April 27, 2008
SALEM, Va. ---
Lynchburg College took advantage of an early two-run
lead on Sunday afternoon as the Hornets outlasted
Virginia Wesleyan College, 4-1, to win the 2008 Old
Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Softball Tournament.
The Hornets (36-5) earn the conference’s
automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Softball
Tournament, the squad’s second straight appearance on
the national stage.
The Marlins bow out with a 29-12 overall record
as they wait to see if they receive an at-large bid into
the national tourney.
Squandered
opportunities hurt the Marlins in the early going.
VWC left the bases loaded twice against Lynchburg
starter Barbie Miles, failing to push across a run in
both the second and third innings.
The Marlins stranded nine runners for the game.
Lynchburg,
on the other hand, took advantage of its early
opportunities against Malrins’ ace, Brittaney Brown,
with two runs in the top of the first and another in the
third frame.
Brittany
Allsop opened the game with a swinging bunt single in
front of the circle and moved to third on a single to
right-center by Elizabeth Perkins.
Tara Campbell and Dara Sandifer each followed
with singles back up the middle to score both Allsop and
pinch runner Leslie Bailey.
The Hornets threatened for more, but Katie Bruce
grounded into a 6-4-3 double-play to end the inning.
The
Hornets got a little help in picking up another tally in
the third inning. Following
a walk of Audra Della Rosa, Perkins sent a line shot
back at the circle that careened off the glove of Brown.
Shortstop Emily Daiger picked up the loose
grounder and fired wide of first to allow Della Rosa to
move up to third base.
Campbell drove in the run with a grounder to
short.
Virginia
Wesleyan got one back in the sixth inning.
Betty Stewart opened with a walk, but Lynchburg
reliever Katie Bruce seemed on her way of canceling the
free pass with strikeouts of Bree Strain and Maree
Opland. VWC
went to its bench as Jess Sacra worked a walk before
Ally Eates followed with a double to left-center to
bring in pinch runner Kristy White.
The inning ended with a grounder to second and
two more stranded Marlins.
Lynchburg
added an insurance run in the seventh with a little
small ball. Lauren
Duguay led off with a single to left and moved up to
second on a sacrifice bunt by Savannah Tinsley.
Two batters later, Della Rosa wrapped another
single back through the circle to bring around Duguay.
Miles
picked up the win for Lynchburg, improving her record to
16-2 on the season.
Bruce earned the rare three-inning save, her
third of the year. Brown,
who toed the rubber for all 35 VWC innings in the
tournament, fell to 20-9 with the loss.
Listed
below is the full 2008 ODAC Softball All-Tournament
team. For
more information on softball and all of ODAC Athletics,
visit the ODAC on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.
2008 ODAC Softball
All-Tournament Team
Pitcher:
Brittaney Brown, Virginia Wesleyan
Catcher:
Kirstin Swank, Lynchburg
1st Base:
Tara Campbell, Lynchburg
2nd Base:
Emily Morris, Bridgewater
3rd Base:
Lauren Childress, Bridgewater
Shortstop:
Amber Stapler, Guilford
Outfield:
Caitlyn Bowman, Bridgewater
Outfield:
Lauren Duguay, Lynchburg
Outfield:
Audra Della Rosa, Lynchburg
Designated Player:
Betty Stewart, Virginia Wesleyan
MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER:
Dara Sandifer, Lynchburg
