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MVSU SOFTBALL CONTINUE TO REWRITE THEIR HISTORY AS WELL AS THE SWAC’S MAY 21, 20004 Kelvin L. Scott,
Student-Assistant Sports Information Los Angeles, CA / Easton Stadium - For the first time in Southwestern Athletic Conference history, a SWAC school has won a game in the NCAA Regional Softball Tournament. After losing to the Lady Bruins of UCLA, 8-0 in the first round, MVSU defeated the University of Missouri Lady Tigers, 4-3, thus continuing their dramatic run through SWAC softball history books. Round 1 - Game 1 The Devilettes faced the Lady Bruins in a late game Thursday evening, where they held the defending champions scoreless for the first three innings, but made crucial defensive errors in the bottom of the fourth that allowed the Lady Bruins to score seven runs. The Devilettes faced one of the top pitchers in the nation, Kiera Goerl, who earned 1st Team All-American in 2003 as well as the PAC 10 Pitcher of theYear. Goerl threw a no-hitter in 5 innings against the Devilettes while collecting eight strike outs. Yet the Devilettes left the UCLA campus knowing that they had another chance to win due to the tournament’s double - elimination rule. Round 1 - Game After losing to Louisville, 1-0, in their first game, The Lady Tigers of the University of Missouri would be next up for MVSU in the loser’s bracket, where they would play at 9:00 a.m. on Friday. The Devilettes would jump on the board, 1-0, in the second inning as Valerie Nicholson hit a double to the middle of the outfield, driving in Nakelya Moragne who reached base on a walk. The Lady Tigers would then load the bases in the fourth inning due to Devilette errors (2), but only came away with one run. Missouri would then add on 2 more runs in the top of the sixth, taking a 3-1 lead, but as the case has been all season, the Devilettes would blaze back in dramatic fashion. With two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, Devilette 2nd baseman Tamara Phillips would reach base on a walk and would then advance to second base on a single by Outfielder Nakelya Moragne. Catcher Natasha McFadden would then hit a three run homer, giving the Devilettes the 4-3 lead. They would seal the deal in the top of the seventh as second baseman Queydreka Shumpert fielded the final out unassisted touching second base, giving MVSU the SWAC’s first NCAA Regional win. “It can be done! We are letting everyone know that we play great softball at MVSU and that we can play on a national level.” stated MVSU Head Coach Lee Smith. “We’re not just trying to win conference championship, but we want to compete on a national level and win on a national level. MVSU will face either Alabama University or Cornell University in the second round. Game time is set for Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. at Easton Stadium. |