UNA advances to GSC Softball Title Game with 7-1 over Shorter in Game 7

5/1/2015 5:00:02 PM

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VALDOSTA, Ga. – Third-seeded North Alabama’s offense plated runs in five different innings as the Lions advanced to their first GSC title game in 28 years with a 7-1 victory over fourth-seeded Shorter at the 2015 Softball Championship.

BY THE NUMBERS [BOX SCORE]

Teams	R	H	E
#3 North Alabama (35-10)	7	10	0
#4 Shorter (33-15)	1	4	1

PITCHERS

Player, Team
WP	Carpenter, UNA (19-4)
LP	Blanchard, SU (17-4)
SV	None

GAME LEADERS

Statistics	UNA	Shorter
Hits	Barkley/Clark/Lee \| 2	Four with 1
Runs	Lee \| 2	Cook \| 1
RBI	Clark \| 2	Johnson \| 1
Homeruns	Lee \| 1	0

KEY MOMENT
UNA put its first three runners on in the top of the first inning, eventually leading to three runs. The Lions never trailed after Reagan Tittle’s RBI single.

QUOTABLE
“I liked that we came out swinging," said UNA Head Coach Ashley Cozart. "Putting up those three runs in the first inning was huge. It really gave the team confidence and took some of the pressure off of Hillary (Carpenter). We had really great practices before we left Florence. Since then the girls have been leaving everything out on the field. I can’t say enough about these players. They have done everything we have asked them to do.”

NOTABLE
·         The Lions have scored 18 runs in 19 innings so far at the GSC Tournament.
·         Madeline Lee (UNA) is 5-for-9 (.556) with four runs scored in three tourney games.
·         UNA will be making its third finals appearance and first since winning back-to-back titles in 1986 and 1987.
·         Niki Cook swiped her 53rd base of the season. She leads the GSC and ranks second in the NCAA. The freshman owns the Shorter single season stolen base record and already ranks third in career steals. Her total checks in as the fourth best single season mark in GSC history.
·         UNA starter Hillary Carpenter retired 18 straight batters between the first and seventh innings.

UP NEXT
UNA advances to the GSC final and will have two chances to win the tournament starting with tomorrow’s 12:30 game. Shorter will play an elimination game tomorrow morning at 10:00am versus the winner between #2 UAH and #6 Delta State.