CHARLOTTE, N.C.- Megan Campbell (Raleigh, N.C., Athens Drive) came through in the clutch hitting a three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning to give No. 3 seed Queens a 5-2 lead over No. 1 seed Limestone in the semifinal game of the Conference Carolinas Championship Tournament. Queens will play for the title on Sunday, April 18 at noon. The opponent will be the winner of the Anderson/Limestone game that finishes this evening.
Brandy Jester (Georgetown, Del., Sussex Central) picked up the win after pitching three shutout innings to close the game. At the plate Jester was 1-3 with a single homerun in the sixth inning. Chantel Dodge (Shalimar, Fla., Choctawhatchee) started the game for Queens and pitched six inning giving up four hits and striking out eight batters.
The game was scoreless through three and a half innings. Limestone posted the first run of the game when Lauren Myers scored on a single by Kayla Hamalainen.
Queens threatened Limestone's lead in the top of the fifth inning loading the bases but a line out by Campbell ended the inning leaving all three runners stranded.
The Saints added one more in the bottom of the fifth inning. Limestone paired a single by Mallory Kuykendall with a triple by Hannah Mills for the run.
Jester cut the lead in half with her single-shot homer in the top of the sixth inning. The bomb was her third of the year. Carrie Beth Richie (Fayetteville, N.C., Northwood Temple Academy) singled on the next at-bat. Following the hits Emily Wallace was replaced in the circle with Co-Pitcher of the Year Leah Quant. Alisha Waldrop (McDonough, GA , Luella) had her only hit of the game, a single, to reach and advance Richie. Both base runners advanced into scoring position on a passed ball. Richie was able to score on a wild pitch before the inning came to a close.
Limestone loaded the bases with a single to right center and two batters hit by a pitch in the bottom half of the sixth. Chelsea Anthony flied out to end the inning, keeping the score knotted at two-all.
It was a pitchers' duel in the seventh and eighth with neither Jester nor Quant allowed any hits.
Dodge started the ninth inning with a walk and a sacrifice bunt by Amanda Bowman (Kernersville, N.C,, Glenn) advanced Dodge to second. Another walk by Quant, this time Maria Goode (Charlotte, N.C., Providence), put two on for Campbell at the plate. Campbell was due for an extra-base hit, not having anything beyond a single since April 2 against Barton. The homerun marks Campbell's fourth of the year.
Jester finished off the Saints with a popout, a groundout and caught the last batter of the game looking.
Richie and Campbell led the team hitting 2-4. Queens had eight hits in the win. Limestone had four hits with each coming from a four different players.
Friday, April 16 Queens vs. Erskine
In a non-elimination game, the Royals upset No. 2 seed Erskine 5-1 in the second game of the afternoon for both teams. The win propels Queens into the semifinal game against No. 1 seed Limestone on Saturday at 3pm.
The Queens bats were ready to go when they stepped to the plate. Leadoff batter
Keeya Turner (Fayetteville, N.C., 71st) opened the game with a double to left center field followed by
Maria Goode (Charlotte, N.C., Providence) with a single.
Megan Campbell (Raleigh, N.C., Athens Drive) continued the trend singling to center field. Turner scored on Campbell's single and both Campbell and Goode advanced an extra base on the throw.
Erskine pitcher Lauren Gunter walked
Megan Lathbury (Georgetown, Del., Sussex Central) and all runners advanced on a passed ball. Queens is now leading 2-0 as Goode scored on the poor pitch.
Brandy Jester (Georgetown, Del., Sussex Central) grounded out to second base and earned the RBI as Campbell crossed the plate. The Royals ended the opening inning of play with a 3-0 lead.
In the second inning Turner hit a two-out single through the left to get on. She stole second and third while Goode was batting. Goode hit her second single of the day and picked up her 11th RBI of the year. Turner's run, her 31st of the season, gave Queens a 4-0 margin.
It wasn't until the fifth inning that Erskine was able to get on the board. Before the fifth, Queens pitcher
Chantel Dodge (Shalimar, Fla., Choctawhatchee) had given up just two hits. Morgan Purcell led off with a single and Kerry Fincher was entered as a pinch runner. Bailey Thornton doubled to right center and Fincher advanced to third on the play. A single by Kristy Fincher drove in Kerry Fincher for the only Erskine run of the game.
In the top of the sixth inning Jester was walked and
Megan Rollins (Salem, Ore., South Salem) entered as a pinch runner.
Alisha Waldrop (McDonough, GA , Luella) hit a single to advance Rollins. Dodge hit her eighth sacrifice bunt of the season to advance both runners.
Amanda Bowman (Kernersville, N.C,, Glenn) earned the RBI on a groundout to second base. The Royals left one on at the end of the inning.
In the seventh inning Erskine had on one with just one out and finished the game with a popout and a strikeout.
Queens picked up seven hits with Turner and Goode each going 2-4. Dodge earned the win to improve to 17-10 on the year. She gave up eight hits and struck out eight batters.
Erskine's Gunter takes the loss. Gunter struck just three Queens batters out. Lindsey LaPrad and Thornton led the Flying Fleet's offense going 2-3.
Game 1
The Royals softball team opened the 2010 Conference Carolinas Championship Tournament with a 5-2 win over No.6 seed Belmont Abbey College in Hartsville, S.C. The Royals entered the tournament with the No. 3 seed and are the defending champions.
Queens scored two in the first after leadoff batter
Keeya Turner (Fayetteville, N.C., 71st) singled to right field.
Maria Goode reached on a sacrifice bunt-error combination.
Megan Lathbury (Georgetown, Del., Sussex Central) advanced everyone with a fielder's choice, but Turner was out at home.
Carrie Beth Richie (Fayetteville, N.C., Northwood Temple Academy) singled through left field to drive in the first run of the game, Goode. Lathbury was able to score on a passed ball and take a 2-0 lead by the end of the inning.
Each team tacked one on in the second. Belmont Abbey's came in the form of a leadoff walk by Kim Anders and scored from first when Megan Mullis put a sacrifice bunt down. Turner singled to left field allowing
Alisha Waldrop to score from third. Waldrop opened the inning reaching on an error, a fielder's choice by
Chantel Dodge (Shalimar, Fla., Choctawhatchee) moved Waldrop around and
Amanda Bowman (Kernersville, N.C,, Glenn) sacrifice bunt moved everyone into scoring position.
The Abbey cut the lead down to one in the top of the third. Carol-Anne Sherrill hit a one out single to center, and was lifted for pinch runner Alana Ryczek, on loan from the women's soccer team. Ryczek stole second and scored on a single up the middle from Becca Rothrock.
The Royals looked to break it open in the fifth loading the bases with no outs, but the Crusaders got out of the inning as pitcher Anders retired the next three batters with a strikeout, a popout and a groundout. Just to be safe, Queens added two in the bottom of the sixth to pick up the 5-2 win.
Turner was a perfect 3-3 on the day, leading the Royals in the 10-hit contest. Dodge is credited with the win pitching four innings in relief. Jester started the game and gave up three hits, two runs, one walk and struck out six. Dodge did not allow any hits, had three K's and one walk.
Anders takes the loss for the Abbey after allowing five runs and only struck out one batter.
Queens will play again at 4pm against the winner of the No. 2 Erskine vs. No. 7 Pfeiffer contest that was to start at noon.
