HARTSVILLE, S.C.- Queens University of Charlotte captured the 2009 Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship this afternoon in Hartsville, S.C., over Coker College. The decision took two games, No. 8 seed Coker took the first game 2-0 giving Queens their first loss of the double-elimination tournament. The Royal trailed until the seventh inning in game two and sealed the victory with two runs in bottom of the seventh for the 4-3 win.

The win secures an automatic bid to the NCAA Regional tournament on May 8-10. Team selections for the regional tournament are on May 3.

The Championship is the second for the Queens three seniors. Mary Lee Giurintano (Greensboro, N.C. , Glenn ), Kari Kmetic (Milwaukie, Ore., Putnam) and Audra Littlejohn (Riverside, Calif., Centennial ) won a conference championship in their freshman season, 2006, and then advanced to the NCAA tournament.

Queens' current record of 26-24 is the best finish since the 2006 season.

Game 1
No. 8 Coker 2
No. 4 Queens 0

A two run home run with two outs in the sixth inning proved to be all the offense the #8 seed Coker would need to take a 2-0 win for the undefeated #4 seed Queens, forcing a final championship game. Whitney Wallett belted the Chantel Dodge (Shalimar, Fla., Choctawatchee) pitch to deep center to give the Lady Cobras the win.

Shelly Catlett had another spectacular seven inning performance for Coker, throwing a shutout, allowing just four hits, while striking out seven. Dodge was equally as good, allowing just two runs on nine hits with nine strikeouts.

Along with Wallett's homer, Coker was led by Miranda Klees 3-for-4 game and Haleigh Rogers 2-for-3 game. Kmetic, Megan Campbell (Raleigh, N.C., Athens Drive ), Brittany Stephens (Charlotte, N.C., Hickory Grove Baptist) and  Keeya Turner (Fayetteville, N.C., 71st ) each had a hit for Queens.

The Coker win forced a second championship game, with each team having one loss in the double elimination tournament.

Game 2
No. 4 Queens 4
No. 8 Coker 3

Coker used another two run home run to take the lead 2-0, this time in the top of the third. Stephens got the Royals out of bases loaded jam in the end of the inning.

Kmetic cut the lead in half with her third home run of the tournament, this time to right field, in the bottom of the fourth.

Coker opened the lead back up to two in the sixth when they were able to score on an error by the Queens defense.

Leading off in the sixth, Kmetic stepped up and put another ball straight over the centerfield fence. The Royals trailed by one again.

Dodge finished the seventh with a pop-up, a fly out and a strike out, giving the Royals a chance to win the game.

Turner, the third batter of the inning, singled to drive in Stephens from second base. Turner was able to advance on the throw, putting herself in scoring position for Giurintano's at-bat. Giurintano singled to right field, brining in Turner for the scoring win.

Kmetic and Turner were each 3-3 on the day. Kmetic has two RBIs and Turner one. In total, Queen had eight hits. Stephens pitched for 3.1 innings, striking out one and giving up six of the eight hits. Dodge struck out three and gave up the other two hits.

Coker's Haleigh Rogers Anna Oswald each were 2-4. Rogers had the only two RBIs of the game. Shelly Catlet was in the circle for the Cobras. She gave up eight hits and struck out three. 

2009 Conference Carolinas Softball All-Tournament Team
Kari Kmetic- Queens- Tournament MVP
Keeya Turner- Queens
Chantel Dodge- Queens
Mary Lee Giurintano- Queens
Shelly Catlett- Coker
Miranda Klees- Coker
Whitney Wallett- Coker
Jenny Jackson- Mount Olive
Allison Czerski- Mount Olive
Jasmine Dobbin- St. Andrews
Megan Riggs- St. Andrews
Stephanie Bethea- Pfeiffer
Dani Beres- Belmont Abbey