UVA-Wise Moves to Regional Championship Tilt, Doubles up Union

May 9, 2007
Boxscore

Pitcher Lauren Snead - 2 wins & 18 K's in 11 IP on Wednesday.

Athens, TN – The Lady Cavs moved into the NAIA Region XII softball championship contest for the second time in three years on Wednesday evening. UVa-Wise doubled up rival Union College, 6-3, in the winner’s bracket final with three run-scoring frames.

UVa.-Wise (31-23) captured the program’s first regional title two years ago in 2005 to make the first NAIA National Championships appearance. The squad is now one win shy of making a return trip in a rebuilding season for the club. The Lady Cavs will await the winner of the Milligan vs. Union loser’s bracket which takes place at 10:00 a.m. The championship will begin at 12:00 p.m. where the Milligan/Union winner will have to defeat UVa-Wise two times.

In the 10-hit attack, Alicia King (Castlewood, VA) belted her third round-tripper of the year, a two-run shot. Amber Harvey (Millboro, VA) lined a double while Amber Quillen (Kingsport, TN) and Mary Wilson (Va. Beach, VA) connected for two singles. The four other hits came from one each of Shelley Newton (Chesapeake, VA), Hannah Ellis (Keokee, VA), Christine Cantone (Va. Beach, VA) and Michelle Osborne (Damascus, VA).

After Amanda Wheeler (Jonesborough, TN) worked the first three innings, Lauren Snead (Troutville, VA), now 15-9, came on to allow just one earned run and struck out four for the win in relief.

Union (38-20) put the first scores onto the board in the top of the second. Suzannah Behnken hit a two-run home run over the right-center field fence to put the Lady Bulldogs ahead 2-0.

The game remained 2-0 until the home half of the fourth. Quillen singled and Brittany Tunnell (Wise, VA) pinch ran, stole second and moved to third on a sac fly from Ellis. King stepped to the plate next and crunched a two-run homer to tie the game, 2-2. Wilson and Osborne singled before Britney Lawson (Duffield, VA) drew a walk to load the bases. Harvey was hit by the pitch to bring home Wilson for a 3-2 Lady Cavs’ lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, Ellis led off with a single and moved to third on the same play due to a Union error. Cantone followed with a sac fly to score what would be the game-winning run to make it 4-2. UVa-Wise added two insurance runs in the home sixth for what would be the 6-3 final.

On the mound, Snead came into the game with the bases loaded and no out in the top of the fourth to relieve Wheeler. She allowed just one run in the final four frames.

UC 020 001 0 3-9-1
V-W 000 312 x 6-10-0

WP: Snead (15-9) C-Newton
LP: Jenny Gray C-Destini Lockwood
2B: Harvey (V-W); HR: Behnken (UC), King (V-W)