OXFORD, Ala. — For the third time in four years Auburn Montgomery lifted the Gulf South Conference Softball Championship trophy after defeating top-seeded Mississippi College, 9-3, in the title game at Choccolocco Park.
As a result, the Warhawks also claimed the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division II region championship. Mississippi College and the rest of the league will await to hear its name called in the NCAA Selection Show, streamed on NCAA.com on Monday, May 6 at 10 am ET.
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
AUM pitcher Alanna Goble, was named the Most Outstanding Player, after notching her third win of the tournament. She went the distance in the title game, tallying three strikeouts and three runs against on six hits. Also earning all-tournament honors for AUM was Haley Ann Frank, Gia Martin and Shelby Newsome. Frank was 2-for-3 on day with three runs. Martin was 1-for-2 at the plate with two walks and had a home run in the ninth, while Newsome went 2-for-4 with a RBI.
For the Choctaws, Jordan LaFosse, Camryn Bailey and Kamryn Eaton were recognized on the all-tournament team. The rest of the selections included Valdosta State’s Aniston Gano and Saylor McNearney as well as UAH’s Katie Bracken and Maddie Cartron.
In Saturday title game, Bailey was charged with just her fourth loss of the year as she went 3.2 innings allowing three runs on five hits. MC finished with six hits on the day from six different batters. LaFosse was 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored, while Eaton went 1-for-4 at the plate.
Scoreless after three, AUM plated the first runs of the afternoon in the fourth with RBI singles from Chloe Derrick, Newsome and Margaret Morgan to make it 3-0. From there, the Warhawk bats found their rhythm, producing six runs on seven hits during the final three innings—scoring twice in the fifth, three times in the third and once in the seventh.
MC responded to AUM’s three-run fourth in the home half of the inning as Emily Rigney drove in Jenny Griggers with a two-out single to make it 3-1. The Choctaws offense went cold however as it recorded just one hit in the fifth and ninth. Down 9-1 in the seventh, McCall Lee reduced the Mississippi College deficit with a two-run home run but it was not enough to spark a rally.
The NCAA Division II Softball region championship will be May 9-11 and will be hosted by the region’s top two seeds. The two teams from each region bracket will square off in the super regionals, May 14-15, with that remaining team advancing to the NCAA D2 Softball Championship. This year’s national championship will be played May 19-25 in Longwood, Fla.