TUCSON, Ariz. - Abilene Christian's No. 22 softball team outlasted both Minnesota State-Mankato and Cal State San Bernardino Sunday during the final day of competition at the NFCA D-II Leadoff Classic to win the prestigious tournament's bronze bracket.
The Wildcats (9-5) defeated the Mavericks of Minnesota-Mankato, 5-2, and the Coyotes of CSU-San Bernardino, 8-3, to finish the three-day, six-game showcase with a 4-2 record. The Wildcats will look to continue their winning ways next Saturday when they play host to regional rival Texas-Permian Basin of the Heartland Conference for a 2 p.m. doubleheader.
Junior
Courtney Flanary and freshman
Cara Hoover each went deep for the Wildcats during their five-run first inning vs. Mavericks starter Courtney McKelvogue. Flanary belted a two-run shot - her first of the year - with two outs, and then after
Lyndi Smith and
Heather Peacock both singled, Hoover blasted her second of the year over the wall in left.
McKelvogue lasted just 0.2 innings before giving way to Kristen Fah, who went on to scatter five hits with three strikeouts over the final 6.1 innings.
Junior
Peyton Mosley (2-2) struck out four in her complete-game victory and allowed both Maverick runs during the third inning, one of which was unearned. The first run scored on a RBI single by Lindsay Erickson and the other on an error by the catcher.
But after the Mavericks' second run scored, Mosley came back with a strikeout of Anna Cole and a ground-ball out off the bat of Samantha Holien. Mosley allowed just two more hits over the next 4.0 innings and closed the game with a 1-2-3 seventh.
The ACU offense got off to another fast start in its win over San Bernardino, scoring five times through the first two innings against starter Kaitlyn Randall and reliever Abreanna Landeros. Smith drove in Winkfield and Vaughn on a first-inning RBI single, and then Flanary went deep again in the second - this time for a three-run round-tripper to left.
The score remained 5-0 in ACU's favor until the Coyotes struck back with three two-out runs in the fourth vs. starter
Caitlyn Crain (4-2). Britney Butler and Jocelyn Ramirez each scored on a line-drive single to left by Monica Ferguson, and then Ferguson scored two batters later on a RBI hit to center by Jacqueline Lopez.
Crain, however, quickly regained control and got Victoria Lievanos to end the threat with a foul pop up to third. The Coyotes managed just three hits the rest of the way, never getting a runner past second.
ACU added three insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth vs. reliever Taylor Davis. Hoover and freshman
Demi McNulty each had RBI hits to begin the frame and then rookie pinch runner
Taylor Fitzgerald came home on a passed ball.
