Day one of the 2011 Conference Carolinas Tournament was filled with excitement as the top eight teams in Conference Carolinas began the battle for the tournament championship and a trip to the NCAA Southeast Regional.
Below are the results and wrap-ups for each of the eight games played on Friday. Due to the threat of inclement weather the start times for the day two's games have been moved up two hours. Games will begin Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. For the most up-to-date schedule please visit the softball tournament page on the Coker Athletics website, www.cokercobras.com.
DAY ONE RESULTS- Friday April 15
GAME 1- Box Score
#4 Queens - 5
#5 Lees-McRae- 3
The opening game of the Conference Carolinas 2011 Softball Tournament featured #4 seed Queens University and #5 seed Lees-McRae College. Queens University is the returning tournament winner. Queens defeated Lees-McRae 5-3.
Queens’ freshman Kaitlyn Cheek (Richmond, VA) went 3-for-3 with two runs batted in and two runs scored. Senior Maria Goode (Charlotte, NC) went 1-for-3 with two runs batted in. Senior Brandy Jester (Georgetown, DE) went all seven innings for Queens, scattering three runs over six hits, while striking out eight, and walking only two.
Lees-McRae junior Lindsey Huntsinger (Asheville, NC) went 1-for-3 with two runs batted in. Freshman Karli Robb (Hayes, VA) went 2-for-4 with one run batted in and a run scored. Sophomore Laurel Gregg (Mars Hill, NC) pitched six innings surrendering five runs (three earned) on seven hits. Gregg also struck out five hitters.
Queens University will play the #8 seed Pfeiffer at 4 pm on Friday evening. Lees-McRae will play the #7 seed Belmont Abbey at 2 pm Friday evening.
GAME 2 – 10 a.m.- Box Score
#3 Coker- 6
#6 Mount Olive- 13
In game two of the Conference Carolinas the #3 seed Coker College played the #6 Mount Olive College. The Trojan’s offense was on, as they defeated Coker 13-6.
Mount Olive totaled 16 hits against the Coker pitching staff. Senior shortstop Kelly Minshew (Statonsburg, NC) went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two runs batted in. Freshman Katie Moore (Cary, NC) went 3-for-5 with three runs batted in and also scored three runs. Junior Alyssa Bradshaw (Goldsboro, NC) also had three runs batted in. Junior Sarah Saunders (Suffolk, VA) went six innings surrendering six runs (three earned) on ten hits. Senior reliever Ana Cooke (Greenville, NC) pitched a shutout inning in relief.
Coker freshman Jenny Sanborn (Beaufort, SC) went 3-for-4 with one run batted in and a run scored. Seven different Cobra players had at least one hit against Mount Olive. Senior Sydney Greenwalt (Edwardsville, IL) got the start for the Cobras. Greenwalt went 3.2 innings, surrendering ten runs (eight earned) on fourteen hits. Junior Becky Dillon (West Palm Beach, FL) went 1.2 innings surrendering two unearned runs on two hits. Sophomore Jordan Atkinson (Bishopville, SC) pitched 1.2 shutout innings in relief, striking out one hitter.
Mount Olive will play the #2 seed Erskine at 4 pm on Friday evening. Coker will play the #1 Limestone at 2 pm on Friday.
GAME 3 – 12 p.m.- Box Score
#1 Limestone- 1
#8 Pfeiffer- 2
In game three of the 2011 Conference tournament #8 seed Pfeiffer played #1 seed Limestone. Pfeiffer defeated Limestone in a well-fought game 2-1.
Pfeiffer managed just four hits in this game. Sophomore Shelby Brown (South Hill, VA) went 2-for-3 with a home run and drove in both of the Falcons’ runs. Senior right hander pitcher Allison Braswell (Asheboro, NC) pitched a complete game allowing just five hits, one run, and striking out three.
Limestone managed only five hits, though sophomore Kirstyn Burleson (Candler, NC) went 2-for-3 with a run batted in. Senior Emily Wallace (Winchester, KY) went 5 inning allowing two runs on three hits; while striking out three. Sophomore reliever Shelby Webb (Hilliard, FL) pitched 2 shutout innings in relief, allowing just one hit.
Pfeiffer will play #4 seed Queens University at 4 pm on Friday evening. Limestone will play #3 seed Coker at 2 pm Friday.
GAME 4- 12 p.m. – Box Score
#2 Erskine- 1
#7 Belmont Abbey- 0
In game four of the Conference Tournament the #7 seed Belmont Abbey College took on the #2 seed Erskine College. The Erskine Flying Fleet won on a walk off single 1-0.
It was sophomore catcher Larissa Shannon (Newberry, SC) who drove in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Sophomore Colleen Gardner (Matthews, NC) scored the winning run from second on the Shannon single. Sophomore pitcher Kelsey Spurrier threw a gem, surrendering only three hits through seven innings. Spurrier struck out three hitters on the way to her first shutout of the tournament.
Sophomore pitcher Sami Michaelis (Woodville, OH) went 6.2 innings surrendering just one run, while striking out two for the Belmont Abbey Crusaders.
Erskine will play #6 seed Mount Olive at 4 pm on Friday evening. Belmont Abbey will play #5 seed Lees-McRae at 2 pm on Friday.
GAME 5- Box Score
#3 Coker- 3
#1 Limestone - 1
**Limestone Eliminated
The #3 seed Coker College played the #1 seed Limestone College in an elimination game Friday afternoon. Coker defeated Limestone 3-1.
Coker had just six hits during the game. Freshman second baseman Katie McElveen (Hartsville, SC) went 2-for-4 with a run batted in and her eighth stolen base of the season. Sophomore Sarah Rountree (Plantation, FL) and senior Haleigh Rogers (Ward, SC) also contributed with an RBI each. Senior left-hander Sydney Greenwalt (Edwardsville, IL) went the full seven innings, surrendering just five hits while striking out two.
Limestone junior Jordan Smith went 2-for-3 with a run batted in. Sophomore right-hander Leah Quant (Charlotte, NC) pitched 0.1 innings, surrendering one run on one hit. Quant was removed with an injury. Senior Emily Wallce and sophomore Shelby Webb combined for 6.2 innings, surrendering five hits, two runs, and striking out five Cobra hitters.
Limestone was eliminated from further play in the tournament. Coker will play the#4 seed Queens at 9 am Saturday morning. The original game time was scheduled for 11 am, but has been shifted as a cautionary effort due to weather.
GAME 6- 2 p.m.- Box Score *5 innings
#5 Lees-McRae- 11
#7 Belmont Abbey- 2
**Belmont Abbey Eliminated
The first elimination game of the tournament was between #7 seed Belmont Abbey and #5 seed Lees-McRae. Lees-McRae defeated Belmont Abbey 11-2.
Lees-McRae’s offense clicked all game, as eight of their starters had at least one hit. In total, Lees-McRae had fourteen hits and only struck out once. Freshman infielder Karli Robb (Hayes, VA) went 2-for-4 with three runs batted in. Junior third baseman Lindsey Huntsinger (Asheville, NC) went 2-for-4 with three runs batted in and two runs scored. Seven different players crossed the plate for Lees-McRae, but junior center fielder Kierstie Moon (Oxford, GA) scored on three separate occasions. Senior right hander Magen West (Whitney, TX) pitched an abbreviated complete game (5 innings) surrendering six hits and two runs.
Belmont Abbey freshman third baseman Carol-Anne Sherrill (Huntersville, NC) went 2-for-2 with both runs batted in for the Crusaders. Sherrill’s RBIs came in the fifth inning on a two run home run.
Belmont Abbey’s starting pitcher sophomore Sami Michaelis (Woodville, OH) pitched 0.1 inning surrendering two runs on two hits. Michaelis was removed from the game after being injured during the first inning of play.
Sophomore relievers Emily Self (Cherryville, NC) and Brittany Southard (Mauldin, SC) combined for 4.1 innings of work, scattering twelve hits and nine runs.
Belmont Abbey was eliminated from further play in the tournament. Lees-McRae will play #6 seed Mount Olive at 11 am Saturday. The original game time was scheduled for 1 pm, but has been shifted as a cautionary effort due to weather.
GAME 7- Box Score
#4 Queens- 2
#8 Pfeiffer- 1
The #4 seed Queens took on the #8 seed Pfeiffer in a non-elimination game Friday at 4 pm. Queens defeated Pfeiffer 2-0.
Queens managed just two runs on three hits, but it was enough to secure the win. Sophomore Megan Lathbury (Georgetown, DE) went 1-for-1 and drove in both runs for Queens. Junior righty Chantel Dodge pitched a complete game, surrendering one run, on five hits, and striking out six.
Pfeiffer totaled five hits and just one run. Junior right hander Melanie Conklin (Wellington, OH) went 2-for2 and also pitched five innings. She surrendered two runs on three hits and struck out five.
Queens will play the #2 seed Erskine College at 1 pm Saturday. Pfeiffer will play the #3 seed Coker College at 9 am Saturday. The original game times were scheduled for 11 am and 3 pm, but were moved as a precaution to tomorrow’s weather.
GAME 8 – Box Score
#6 Mount Olive- 4
#2 Erskine- 5
The #2 seed Erskine College played the #6 seed Mount Olive College in a non-elimination game Friday at 4 pm. Erskine defeated Mount Olive on a walk-off single 5-4.
Erskine sophomore Morgan Purcell (Duncan, SC) had the walk-off hit when she took a pitch from Mount Olive freshman Carly White (Ash, NC) off the fence in left-center field that scored the tying and winning run. Senior second baseman Lindsey LaPrad (Summerville, SC) had a 2-for-3 game, with a three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning. Sophomore right hander Heather Richey (Abbeville, SC) went 6.2 innings, allowing four runs, on seven hits, while striking out two. Junior Leigh Ann Shelley went 0.1 inning in relief and is credited with the win.
Mount Olive freshman infielder Katie Moore (Cary, NC) went 2-for-4 with two runs batted in. Carly White started for the Trojans and went 6.2 innings, surrendering five runs (two earned), on seven hits, and striking out two.
Mount Olive will play #5 seed Lees-McRae College at 9 am Saturday in an elimination game. Erskine will play #8 seed Pfeiffer at 1 pm Saturday. The original start times were 11 am for Mount Olive vs. Lees-McRae and 3 pm for Erskine vs. Pfeiffer, they have been moved as a cautionary effort due to weather.
2011 Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament Bracket