Hornets Win Third Straight Title
Lynchburg Heads to NCAA Tournament
SALEM, Va. --- The Lynchburg College softball
team earned its third straight Old Dominion Athletic Conference
(ODAC) Championship with a 4-1 defeat of seventh seeded Eastern
Mennonite University.
The Hornets got off to a quick start in the bottom of the first
inning. Brittany Allsop (Milford, CT/Johnathan Law) walked and
advanced to second on an Audra Della Rosa (Rumford, RI/St. Mary
Academy Bay View) sacrifice bunt. With runners on first and third,
Katie Bruce (Lanexa, VA/Lafayette) stepped up to the plate to help
her own cause in the circle with an RBI single to score Allsop and
place Tara Campbell (Leesburg, VA/Loudoun County) on second. Rachel
Gallagher (Warrenton, VA/Fauquier) registered LC's third
consecutive centerfield single to load the bases. An EMU wild pitch
allowed Campbell to cross home plate and put runners on second and
third with two outs. Amber James (Manahawkin, NJ/S. Regional)
walked to load the bases again, but the Royals were able to escape
a bases loaded jam unscathed to make it a 2-0 game after one
inning.
Lynchburg posted two more runs in the fourth inning. Lauren reached
on a sacrifice bunt due to an error that allowed Leslie Bailey
(Rockville, VA/Homeschool) to score an unearned run. Gallagher
posted her fourth home run in as many games as she sent a pitch on
a 3-2 count over the center field fence.
Eastern Mennonite (21-19) made their best effort to stage a
comeback in the seventh inning. Lisa Lee led off the inning with a
single and advanced to second base after Nicole Shelton grounded
out to first base. Brittany Caricofe followed up with an RBI single
to score Lee with one out. Bruce then closed the door on the
comeback by striking out Megan Viafora and getting Mandee Madden to
fly out to center field.
Bruce tossed all seven inning and allowed just three hits and one
walk to earn her 20th win of the season. Gallagher
recorded two hits, a run, and an RBI, Bruce tallied a hit and an
RBI, and Campbell posted a run and a hit. Gallagher was named the
Tournament MVP, and Bruce and Allsop were named to the
All-Tournament team. Gallagher hit a .615 clip with four home runs,
and 10 RBI along with a 1.615 slugginer percentage. Bruce went 2-0
in the tournament in three appearances and posted a 0.43 ERA,
allowing just eight hits in 16.1 innings pitched along with 12
strikeouts. Allsop concluded the tournament with four runs and had
several outstanding defensive plays in center field.
Lynchburg (37-6-1) earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament
with time, date, and location of their regional to be
determined.
This release is courtesy of the Lynchburg College
sports information department.
