Kerrville, Texas - The No. 5 seed Centenary softball team's season ended on Monday with a 2-1 loss to the No. 1 seed Texas Lutheran Bulldogs in the championship round of the 2021 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Softball Championship at Mountaineer Softball Field.
The Ladies (18-20) were playing in the championship round for the first time in program history and gave the Bulldogs, the top-ranked team in division III in the country, all they could handle as Centenary scored first in the second to lead 1-0 and held that lead until a solo home run in the sixth by TLU tied the game 1-1. The Bulldogs (28-4) then loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the seventh and Rebecca Snow delivered a walk-off RBI single to give TLU a 2-1 win and the conference championship.
Centenary won a pair of games on Sunday to reach the championship round, the second victory giving head coach Mark Suire 100 career wins, as the Maroon and White were facing elimination in both games after the tournament transitioned into a modified single elimination format on Sunday following two days of inclement weather.
The Ladies defeated No. 3 seed Trinity (16-15) by a score of 8-3 in its first game of the day to eliminate the Tigers. The Ladies then recorded a drama-filled 2-1 win in eight innings over No. 2 seed and host Schreiner to clinch a berth in Monday's championship round.
Centenary opened the tournament on Friday with a 10-4 win over No. 4 seed Southwestern in the first round and then had its second game of the day against TLU suspended due to weather in the second inning with the Ladies trailing, 2-0. That game was later cancelled as the tournament schedule was modified.
The Ladies entered the weekend on a six-game losing streak but caught fire in the tournament and reached the championship round for the first time in program history. Suire is no stranger to success in the event during his Ladies' tenure though, finishing third three times (2016, 2018, and 2019). Centenary tied its program record for wins in the championship as the Maroon and White also won three games each time they earned third-place finishes.
Junior Ashley Hunter (Benton, La.) started for the second say in a row and was the tough-luck losing pitcher. She went 6.2 innings and allowed just the two runs, both earned, on eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Hunter defeated Trinity on Sunday and finished her season at 6-5 in the circle. TLU's Ashlyn Strother (10-1) went the distance to pick up the win. She allowed one unearned run and six hits in her seven innings with a walk and three K's.
Junior 2B Jaymee Wilkinson (Brazoria, Texas) continued her hot hitting as she went 2-3 with a run scored. Wilkinson finished the tournament 9-20 at the plate and went 4-4 with an RBI, a run scored, a double, and a stolen base in the win against Trinity on Sunday. Sophomore LF Kaylea Patridge (Las Vegas, Nev.) also went 2-3 and scored a run. Sophomore CF Mallory Stout (Trinity, Texas) had the Ladies' RBI as she walked with the bases loaded in the second inning. She also threw out the potential tying run at plate to end the fourth inning and preserve the Ladies' 1-0 lead at the time.
Snow went deep to lead off the sixth and tie the game at 1-1 but Hunter quickly retired the next three to send the game to the seventh all even. The Ladies went in order in the seventh and then Hunter started the bottom of the seventh with a strikeout but then hit Sarah Metzer with a pitch. Kali Chatham then doubled to put runners at the second and third with just one out. Kelly Jurden was intentionally walked to load the bases, bringing Casey Martin to the plate. The Ladies continued to display their fine defense as freshman 1B Isabelle Dominguez (Newark, Calif.) fielded Martin's sharp grounder and threw home for the force out and the second out. Snow then delivered the bases-loaded hit to win it for the Bulldogs.
Please check the tournament central web site for more information and a complete schedule: https://scacsports.prestosports.com/tournament/spring/softball/21championships/index
A link to the Ladies' complete schedule can be found here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/sball/2020-21/schedule
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