by HATTIESBURG, Mississippi – The Drovers found their season still alive after taking their second game at the NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round at William Carey University.
After day one was rained out, the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (43-8) had to play two games in one day to catch up, dropping late in the first game and then nabbing the victory in game two.
“I was proud of them for how they came back and fought their way through,” Head Coach Jadyn Wallissaid. “They really established the whole season in one day today, coming back and battling and fighting.”
The Drovers will need three wins to advance to the 2015 Softball NAIA World Series.
USAO will play host (14) William Carey University in another elimination game on Wednesday morning with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m. The winner of the game will advance to face (RV) Lindenwood-Belleville in the championship.
In game one, the Drovers dropped 3-2 in an extra-innings affair against (RV) LU-Belleville.
Even though the Drovers got the first run, late scoring by the Lady Lynx took the game out of the Drovers hands after a defensive batter.
USAO scored the first run of the game. Kayla Adams singled to lead off the fifth inning and advanced to second on a misplayed ball in right field.
She moved over to third with one out on a dropped third strike to set up a big at-bat from Sevie Carel. With a 2-2 count, Carel hit a double up the center to take a 1-0 lead, scoring Adams on the play.
Heading into the top of the seventh, the Drovers had two outs and were down to the last strike, but a double to deep left center tied the ball game up for the Lady Lynx. The game was forced into extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, back-to-back doubles by LU-Belleville gave them a 3-1 lead, but the Drovers, would have late inning drama of their own to grab a run in the bottom of the inning.
Courtney Capps singled in Kaylin Taylor to make it a 3-2, but the rally fell short.
After waiting out the tournament’s third game, the Drovers got a chance to redeem themselves with a3-2 victory over (RV) Reinhardt in the round’s fourth and final game of the day.
USAO used a solo bomb from Adams in the bottom of the second to draw first blood in the game.
Taylor, who went 3-for-4 in the game, bunted to first in the next inning to get the offense going. She was scored by Capps a few plays later.
The day began to wear on the team and the Drovers surrendered two runs in the top of the sixth for another round of urgency.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Drovers had the bases loaded with two outs when Jessica McClaskypinch hit for USAO and singled in Hannah Neill, who pinch ran for Shania Beck.
In both games, Summer Leitka (31-4) pitched a complete game to make it 27 on the season. She had a combined 13 strikeouts to continue the season for the Drovers.
