Softball
Team Wins Gold Consolation
Title At Gulf Coast Tourney
ORANGE BEACH, Ala. – For the second straight season, the
USAO softball team competed in the prestigious Gulf Coast Invitational and
won a second championship. This time, the Drovers claimed a Gold Bracket
consolation championship with a 7-0 win Sunday against North Georgia
College and State University.
Over the three-day tournament, No. 5 USAO came away with a
4-2 record, including a win over 17th-ranked Lee University.
The Drovers are now 12-7 overall, and have a light week ahead. On
Thursday, USAO is scheduled to host Northwestern in a 2 p.m. conference
doubleheader at Bill Smith Ballpark.
In addition to the victory over North Georgia, USAO beat
Lee, Tenn., University 1-0 on Sunday. The Drovers lost both games on
Saturday, the first a 1-0 loss to Lee, Tenn., and a 1-0 loss to University
of Mobile, Ala. USAO had an east time Friday, with a 9-0 win over
host-team Spring Hill, Ala., College and a 16-1 win over Reinhardt, Ga.,
College.
USAO 3, North Georgia 0
USAO scored all three of its runs in the bottom of the
first inning to breeze past North Georgia College and State University 3-0
in the Gold Bracket Consolation championship game Sunday afternoon at the
Gulf Coast Invitational in Orange Beach, Alabama. Junior Kindra Gregory
scattered six hits over seven innings, struck out five and allowed no runs
in picking up the complete-game shutout.
Senior Cyrstal Judkins led off the game with a single and
scored on a two-run home run in the first by junior Dana Askins. Askins
went 1-for-2, with a home run and one stolen base. Judkins finished
2-for-3 from the plate with a double and a run scored.
USAO 1, Lee, Tenn. 0
After a previous to Lee, Tenn., USAO responded Sunday with
a dramatic 1-0 win to advance to the gold bracket consolation
championship. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Judkins drew a two-out
walk. Judkins stole second, and freshman Tanna Truelove drew another walk
to put runners at first and second.
Askins then stepped up and hit a blooper that fell just in
front of the second baseman and squirted underneath her glove. Judkins
came all the way around from second and beat the throw to the plate as
USAO won in dramatic fashion. Askins, who got the game-winning hit, also
picked up the win on the mound. Askins went seven complete innings
allowing just one hit and no earned runs, while striking out four.
Mobile, Ala. 1, USAO 0
University of Mobile’s Meredith Tanner belted a solo
home run over the left field fence in the top of the fourth inning as the
4th-ranked Rams defeated USAO 1-0 in the first round of Gold
Bracket play in the Gulf Coast Invitational.
USAO pitchers
Kindra Gregory and Askins combined to allow just two hits to go along with
three strikeouts.
Lee, Tenn. 1, USAO 0
Kelly Golden of Lee, Tenn., hit a game-winning home run in
a 1-0 win over USAO 1-0 in the final game of pool play at the Gulf Coast
Invitational. A pitcher’s duel to the end, USAO’s Askins surrendered
only three hits and struck out eight.
USAO 9, Spring Hill, Ga. 0
USAO handily defeated tournament host Spring Hill College
9-0 to finish out the first day of action at the 2nd annual
Gulf Coast Invitational. The USAO Drovers were in command on both sides of
the score sheet as Askins dominated from the pitcher’s circle allowing
only three hits while striking out nine in seven innings.
At the plate the Drovers scored five in the first inning
and never looked back as they combined for nine runs on as many hits.
Senior Alana Hare went 2-for-2 from the plate with junior Nikki Aguilar
going 1-for-3 with two runs scored and junior Courtney Foley adding two
more runs on 1-for-3 hitting. Askins also added a solo homerun in the win.
USAO 16, Reinhardt, Ga. 1
USAO scored nine times in the bottom of the third inning,
to blow past Reinhardt, Ga., College 16-1 in round one of pool play Friday
afternoon at the Gulf Coast Invitational.
Truelove collected three hits in the game, drove in two
runs and scored twice, while sophomore Morgan Skelley went 2-for-4 from
the plate with a double and 2 RBIs in the win. Kindra Gregory picked up
the win in the five-inning shortened game, allowing one run on two hits
and striking out seven.
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