West Texas A&M 2, Dixie State 1 | Final Stats | Photo Gallery | Postgame: WTAMU | DSU
West Texas A&M coach Kevin Blaskowski urges his team to "win the inning," and winning the pivotal fifth inning led to a 2-1 victory over Dixie State and propelled the Lady Buffs to the NCAA Division II championship game tomorrow at noon.
With the game scoreless in the fifth, Dixie State pushed across a run to take the lead. Mattie Snow had a single, and then with two outs, a ground ball and a pair of throwing errors allowed pinch runner Kristie Johnson to score to take the 1-0 lead.
Lacey Taylor led off the next inning with a walk, and then later Alyssa Lemos and Tyler Wilkinson followed with singles to load the bases with just one out. Renee Erwin was then hit by a pitch and Kaisha Dacosin walked in a run to give the Lady Buffs the lead. DSU starter Aryn Feickert was able battle back and strike out the next two batters to limit the damage.
Dixie State had a chance in its final at-bat tie the game or take the lead, but West Texas A&M starter Rita Hokianga got a flyout to to left field with the bases loaded to hold on to the victory.
Hokianga (28-3) earned the win allowing just one unearned run and allowing four hits.
Feickert (21-7) pitched a strong game for the Red Storm in the loss allowing two runs on just three hits -- two of which came in the fifth inning -- while striking out seven and walking five.
Valdosta State 5 Southeastern Oklahoma State 3 | Final Stats | Photo Gallery | Postgame: VSU | SEOK
Valdosta State scored three runs in the first inning on its way to a 5-3 win over Southeastern Oklahoma State to advance to the 2014 NCAA Division II national championship game tomorrow at noon against West Texas A&M.
VSU (48-14) got off to a quick start as Courtney Albritton led off the game with a single and then Shelby Altman followed up with an RBI double. Frank Johnson would later drive in two more with a single to left field to give the Blazers an early 3-0 lead.
Albritton made it 4-0 in the second with a solo shot to left field. Southeastern Oklahoma State wouldn't go away, though, scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth to make it a one-run game. Sydney Kramer hit a two-run single and Laramie Beal added an RBI double to help draw the Savage Storm to within a run.
The Blazers pushed across an insurance run in the sixth, and reliever Caitlyn Calhoun closed the door on the Savage Storm in their final two at-bats to close out the victory and earn her third save of the year.
Albritton finished the game going 2-for-2 with two runs scoored and an RBI. Altment went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI, as did Johnson. Brianna Hancock was credited with the victory lasting 4.1 innings giving up three runs on three hits with three strikeouts and four walks.
Beal went 2-for-4 to lead the Southeastern Oklahoma State (45-20) offense. Mindy McElroy (29-12) took the loss allowing five runs on nine with a pair of walks and two strikeouts.