Lady Muleriders stay alive in World Series
SALEM, Va. - An early start to Saturday morning's opener nor a 14-minute weather delay in the second game of the day as well as continual light rain throughout could not slow Southern Arkansas' efforts at the NCAA Division II Softball World Series as sophomore pitcher Victoria Taylor tossed a two-hit shutout of fourth-seeded Angelo State in the morning's first elimination game, before the Lady Muleriders manufactured a plethora of patient at bats in a rematch with second-seeded Saint Anselm to force the "if-necessary" contest as the club moves within one win of playing in the best-of-3 championship series.
Southern Arkansas (6010) topped Angelo State 3-0 and defeated Saint Anselm 11-5 on Saturday as the offense produced eight hits in each game and received solid pitching from start to finish.
In the opener, Taylor was phenomenal as she quieted one of the nation's top offenses in the Rambelles. The right-hander allowed
just two hits; a leadoff single to start the game and a two-out single in the fourth inning, while recording nine strikeouts to just two walks. Of the nine punch outs, two proved to be game-altering K's as the sophomore fanned ASU's Karina Rocha (18 HR, 12 2B) with two outs and runners at second and third in the fourth inning, before ending any potential threat in the seventh with a game-ending strikeout of Danae Bina to strand a runner.
Southern Arkansas' first run of the morning came courtesy of sophomore Rachel Miller's one-out solo homerun that lifted out to left field which broke a scoreless tie. Taylor continued to work in the circle with a one-run lead through the fifth inning, before the SAU offense struck for a single insurance run in the fifth inning and a cushion run in the sixth inning.
Senior Jill Roye singled into centerfield to plate classmate Megan Godoyo in the fifth, while senior Monica Islava blasted a leadoff home run to right centerfield in the bottom of the sixth inning giving SAU and Taylor a 3-0 lead with just three outs left to get.
Half of the Lady Muleriders' eight hits in the win over Angelo State went for extra bases as Godoyo went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and a run scored, while Roye and Miller each collected a pair of hits and an RBI, while Miller also scored a run.
In the rematch with Saint Anselm, both teams took advantage of weather-aided run production as the Lady Muleriders found six first-inning runs on just two hits, while registering seven walks as both pitchers struggled to find a grip with a light rain falling.
With a 6-1 lead after one inning of play, Taylor fired a quick second inning, worked around runners at the corners in the third
inning, before she executed a 1-2-3 fourth inning after her offense struck for four runs in the previous half inning.
In the run-scoring third for the Lady Muleriders, walks weren't need as sophomore Faith Otts plated freshman Sarah Pitre on a sacrifice fly, before Roye and fellow senior Marina Duran pushed across runs with Roye scoring freshman Hallie Saintignan on an RBI-double and Duran plating a pair on a single down the leftfield line to make it 10-1 SAU. Godoyo singled down the right field line in the next inning to score Pitre and increase the Lady Mulerider lead to 11-1 through four.
A steady rain continued to make it difficult for both
pitchers and with two outs in the inning and Saint Anselm having already plated two runs, the game saw a 14-minute rain delay before action resumed. The Hawks fended off the run-rule which was a possibility before SAC pushed across four runs, while taking advantage of five walks in the fifth inning.
Junior reliever Brooke Ford-Nelson entered following the weather delay and recorded the next seven outs, while allowing just one hit as the Lady Muleriders forced the aforementioned "if-necessary" contest.
Godoyo and Pitre each recorded two hits, while senior Brooke Goad and Duran each collected a pair of RBI in the win. Pitre scored three runs, while Goad and Roye scored twice.
Southern Arkansas and Saint Anselm meet for the third time in the DII World Series with the winner advancing to the best-of-3 championship series against the Saint Leo/Southern Indiana winner. Game time is scheduled for 11 a.m.