#1 Angelo State 5, Humboldt State 1 | Final Stats
SALEM, Va. – Kenedy Urbany and Danae Bina broke through for home runs in the fourth inning to help lift Angelo State to a 5-1 win over Humboldt State in the first game of the NCAA Softball Championship.
“That’s a big win,” said head coach Travis Scott. “That’s a huge win getting past one of the better teams here, and it puts us in good shape going forward. Kenedy hit the one that broke the ice a little bit for us.”
The Rambelles (58-5) were hitless in the game before Urbany’s solo shot. Bina then followed up a two-run shot after Taegan Kirk walked. The inning was extended when the Lumberjacks could’ve pulled a double play on a line drive, but an errant throw allowed Bina to come to the plate.
“If you don’t execute, you’re not going to win, and when you make mistakes, you’re not going to win,” said Humboldt State head coach Shelli Sarchett. “These are the best eight teams left in the country, and when you allow extra opportunities, and you don’t take advantage of ones given to you, it makes it hard to win.”
Angelo State added another in the fifth on a Bailey Wallace sacrifice fly to make it 4-0.
Humboldt State (43-14) pulled one back in the top of the sixth on a solo homer from Tiffany Hollingsworth, but again the Rambelles responded with another insurance run in the bottom half of the inning. The Lumberjacks threatened in the top of the seventh getting a pair of runners on, but Urbany, who came on in relief to pitch the seventh, was able to get out of the jam.
“The only thing I had in mind was to just hit my spots because I know my defense will back me up,” said Urbany of the seventh inning.
Brandy Marlett (29-4) got the win in the circle for Angelo State giving up one run on four hits through six innings with four strikeouts. Bina finished the day 2-for-3 with two two RBI and a run scored.
Humboldt State’s Madison Williams (24-10) went the distance giving up five runs (three earned) on six hits with eight strikeouts. Kalyn Paque led the offense for the Lumberjacks with a pair of hits. HSU was plagued by three errors in the game that helped extend innings for the Rambelles.