SAU one win away from World Series finals

SOUTHERN ARKANSAS 3, ANGELO STATE 0

ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

Southern Arkansas University defeated Angelo State 3-0 and Saint Anselm 11-5 on Saturday to move within one victory of the championship series at the NCAA Division II Women’s World Series in Salem, Va.

Southern Arkansas (6010) and Saint Anselm (4311-1) will meet for the third time in the World Series at 10 a.m. today, with the winner advancing to the best-of-3 championship series against Saint Leo (39-17).

Sophomore pitcher Victoria Taylor tossed a two-hit shutout of Angelo State in Saturday’s first elimination game. The right-hander allowed just 2 hits — a leadoff single to start the game and a two-out single in the fourth inning — while recording 9 strikeouts and walking 2. Taylor struck out Angelo State’s Karina Rocha (18 HR, 12 doubles) 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.

Megan Godoyo, Jill Roye and Rachel Miller each had two hits for the Lady Muleriders in the first game. One of Miller’s hits was a home run that broke a scoreless tie. Monica Islava also hit a home run.

Southern Arkansas opened the game against Saint Anselm with a six-run first inning and added four more runs in the third to take a 10-1 lead.

A passed ball and three bases-loaded walks produced four runs before Brooke Goad drove in two more to cap the scoring in the first.

Faith Ott’s sacrifice fly and run-scoring hits from Roye and Marina Duran padded SAU’s lead in the third.