COLUMBUS, Ga.- The No.3-ranked Lee University softball team fell to Williams Baptist (Ark.) 3-1 in the opening round of the 2013 NAIA Softball National Championship final site at the South Commons Softball Complex on Friday evening.
Eagles starter Karisa Hendrix (24-5) shutdown the NAIA's most powerful offensive over seven strong innings of work to key the victory for the sixth seeded team from Arkansas. The Lady Flames entered the game hitting at a national best .385 clip. Hendrix gave up just five hits, four of which were singles and one run. The right-hander entered the contest ranked second in the NAIA in opponent batting average (.146).
Lee's Caroline MacAusland (16-5) was the tough luck loser. The freshman also went to the distance giving up just six hits while striking out four. MacAusland did not give up a walk and surrendered three runs (one earned).
"I thought Caroline (MacAusland) pitched well." noted Lee coach Emily Russell. "We hit it hard just right at the people."
Williams Baptist struck for all three runs in the fifth inning. Kirsten Gipson came off the bench and led things off with a single. After a sacrifice bunt, Brittany Merritt roped a single to center and advaned to second on the throw. With runners on second and third Felicia Woodard reach on an infield single that scored Gipson. Merritt would also reach home thanks to a Lee throwing error.
The Lady Eagles tacked on the final run of the inning when Lauren Sweeten laid down a squeeze bunt allowing Woodard to slide just under the tag of Lee catcher Meghan Macias.
The Lady Flames would respond for a run in the bottom of the inning. After two quick outs, Laurel Allen reached on a bunt base hit. Dominique Hannah followed with a double to deep left to score the speedy Allen. Hendrix clamped down from there and got a fly-out to short circuit the Lee rally.
The final two innings saw just one combined base hit. Lee's Dezirae Parsons ripped a single to right in the sixth to account for one of her two base knocks.
The loss drops the Lady Flames to 47-10 on the year. Williams Baptist improves to 45-7 overall.
"We didn't get the hits when we needed it today." said Russell. "We will be facing a tough opponent in AUM (Auburn University at Montgomery) tomorrow and they have great pitching."
The Lady Flames will battle AUM tomorrow at 1 p.m. in an elimination game. Coach Russell's club is no stranger to tomorrow's opponent as both schools are members of the Southern States Athletic Conference.
The championship is a 10-team, double-elimination event hosted by the Columbus Sports Council. This is the 33rd annual championship and takes place in the state of Georgia for the first time in NAIA softball history.
