SCAD Softball Shines on First Day of The Sun Conference Tournament
Cumaltive Tournament Statistics
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The first day of The Sun Conference Softball Tournament held at the DiamondPlex in Winter Haven, Fla. belonged to the No. 3 seed Savannah College of Art & Design (34-15) as they advanced to the Championship game after defeating #3 seed Webber International University (32-20) 5-0 and quelled #4 seed St. Thomas University (16-28) rally efforts to drop the Bobcats 3-1 in the second round.
Fresh off earning The Sun Conference Player of the Year, Kristen Curette contributed to the Bees’ two wins on the day after pitching a total of 5.2 shutout innings while allowing only two hits for the day.
The Bees’ bats were lively in their first game as they tagged Webber International for 11 hits. All-Conference third baseman and 2009 All-American Courtney Mienkina led the game with three hits and scored two of the Bees’ five runs, while All-Conference catcher Dominica Jordan led with two RBI’s off two hits.
SCAD scored one run apiece in the first three innings and tacked on two more insurance runs in the fifth to put the game out of reach. Mienkina and Jaime Voelkel opened the fifth with back to back singles before Jordan plated a two-run single for the final score of the game.
In their matchup with the Bobcats, the Bees were outhit 8-6 and had to overcome two errors to come away with the hard fought win. Mienkina continued her hitting prowess as she went 2-for-2 from the plate with one of the Bees’ two RBI’s.
Melissa King and Tina Diaz each knocked in two hits with King providing one RBI for the Bobcats.
The Bees jumped out to an early 3-0 lead behind a two-run first inning. Mienkina drove in the first run on a SAC bunt while Voelkel drove in the other run on a RBI single.
SCAD scored their final run in the second as the Bobcats pitching and defense would quiet the Bees offense for the remainder of the game. The Bobcats fueled by their spirited fan base pieced together a rally in the final two innings. Jenny Sanchez hit a RBI SAC fly in the sixth inning to put the Bobcats on the board 3-1. King’s RBI came in the seventh on a single to drive in Diaz to pull the Bobcats within one run. Curette then entered the game and forced Cindy Castrillon to fly out to left field and Carissa Albizu who got on earlier in the inning on a double was thrown out at home thanks to a rocket throw from left fielder Jackie Rooney to preserve the win.
In the other first round game, No. 1 seed Warner University (29-13-1) found themselves in the loser’s bracket after getting blanked 5-0 by No. 4 seed St. Thomas University. Bobcats pitching duo Amanda Heyl and Nicki Sanchez combined to shutout the Royals while holding them to only six hits in the game and snapping the Royals eight-game win streak.
All-Conference second baseman Albizu led the Bobcats with three hits and scored three of the Bobcats five runs. St. Thomas opened the game with a RBI single up the middle from All-Conference catcher Castrillon and never looked back. St. Thomas would go on to score in the second, fourth and fifth innings before Albizu capped off the game by scoring her third run of the game in the seventh.
In the elimination game, the Royals and Warriors engaged in a pitching duel between All-Conference pitchers Kristen Stewart and Kaitlyn Grimail as they each rendered their opponents scoreless in regulation, forcing extra innings.
It was not until the top of the ninth inning when all-conference first baseman Franki Grimes hit a RBI single to second base to drive in Tabatha Martin to provide the game-winning run and to eliminate the Warriors.
The Royals and Bobcats will return to the diamond for the 12 p.m. game Sunday at Diamond Plex while the Bees will await the winner of that matchup for the 2:30 p.m. game.