CHARLOTTE, N.C.- The Queens softball team (26-23) won its second-consecutive Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship today over top-seed Limestone (40-22) by a score of 6-5. The victory earns Queens the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament which takes place May 14-16.
The matchup of Queens and the Saints was the second in as many days and both games took extra innings to decide a victor. The Royals prevailed in the semifinal game, 5-2, in nine innings as well. The win gives Queens a perfect 4-0 in the tournament this year.
In the circle it was Co-Pitcher of the Year vs. Co-Pitcher of the year with Queens' Chantel Dodge (Shalimar, Fla., Choctawhatchee) earning the win to improve to 17-10 on the year. Dodge pitched a complete game giving up six hits, five runs, one walk, and eight strikeouts. Limestone's Leah Quant started and pitched six innings giving up five runs, on four hits, with four walks, and six strikeouts. Junior Emily Wallace pitched in relief for Limestone and went three innings, surrendering six hits, and giving up just one run. Wallace was charged with the loss.
The Royals opened the championship game with a two-run first inning. Leadoff batter Keeya Turner (Fayetteville, N.C., 71st) singled to start the game. Quant walked Maria Goode (Charlotte, N.C., Providence) and both base runners stole the next open bases. Megan Campbell (Raleigh, N.C., Athens Drive) grounded out, earning her 31st RBI of the season as Turner scored. Carrie Beth Richie (Fayetteville, N.C., Northwood Temple Academy) brought Goode home with a single. The inning closed leaving one runner on base.
Limestone cut the lead in half in the bottom of the first inning. After reaching on an error, Jenna Guse advanced to third on a double by Lauren Myers. Kelsey Kuykendall placed a bunt and reached on a fielder's choice while Dodge was connecting with catcher Brittany Harrell (Morganton, N.C., Freedom) to get Guse out at home, but Myers snuck a run in.
The pitchers proved why they are the best in the conference from the second inning through the bottom half of the fourth with neither Dodge nor Quant giving up a hit.
Limestone's Mallory Kuykendall hit a deep fly ball to left field, in the fourth inning, which hit off the glove of Goode and bounced over the wall for four runs. The Saints took a 5-2 lead.
Queens quickly loaded the bases in the top of the fifth inning and Goode's sacrifice bunt produced the first of two runs in the inning. Goode made it safely to first when Limestone committed an error and the bases stayed loaded. Campbell hit a sacrifice fly to right field allowing Dodge to score the second run of the inning. The inning came to a close on a strikeout leaving three Queens runners on base and the Royals trailing 5-4.
It was the seventh inning when Queens tied the game. Quant walked Turner then was replaced by Wallace. Wallace walked her first batter faced, Goode. Campbell hit into a double play, but Turner scored from second to tie the game at five. The Royals strung together two singles putting the go-ahead runs on base, but a fly out ended the inning.
Dodge struck out two of the last three batters and a pop out ended regulation play.
Three singles in the top of the ninth inning earned Queens the win. Campbell hit the first single and Megan Lathbury (Georgetown, Del., Sussex Central) followed with one of her own. Two batters later Brandy Jester (Georgetown, Del., Sussex Central) connected for her only hit of the game, a single, to drive in Campbell. Queens now has a 6-5 lead.
It was all down to defense in the bottom of the ninth inning. Dodge gave up a hit to start the inning, followed by a fielder's choice to advance Hannah Mills to second base. Dodge struck out the next two batters to win the game.
Following the win, Dodge was named the tournament's MVP while Jester, Campbell and Turner all earned spots on the All-Tournament Team.
2010 All-Tournament Team
Chantel Dodge- Queens- MVP
Brandy Jester- Queens
Megan Campbell- Queens
Keeya Turner- Queens
Mallory Kuykendall- Limestone
Emily Wallace- Limestone
Lauren Myers- Limestone
Casey Deer- Anderson
Meredith Knox- Anderson
Allison Braswell- Pfeiffer
Heather Nobles- Pfeiffer
Lindsay LaPrad- Eskine
Sydney Greenwalt- Coker
