Thursday, May 11th, 2006

Softball Team Advances In NCAA Regional With 7-2 Victory Over Transylvania

Regional Website

The Piedmont College softball team advanced to the winner's bracket quarterfinal in the 2006 NCAA Regional this afternoon at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, VA with a 7-2 victory over fourth-seeded Transylvania University. The win marks the school's first-ever NCAA postseason victory.

The victory improves PC to 32-9 overall. The fifth-seeded Lady Lions will square-off against top-seeded Muskingham College tomorrow, May 12th beginning at 2:00.

Game Recap

Piedmont wasted little time opening a big lead. In the top of the first, the Lions loaded the bases on a Leah Della Torre single, a Mandy Fuston double to left, and a May Alves hit-by pitch. With two outs, Emily Maxey hit a soft grounder to third, but the Transylvania fielder was unable to come up with the ball cleanly, allowing Maxey to reach and Della Torre to score the game's first run. Just one batter later, Piedmont starting pitcher Meredith Ray helped her own cause, hitting a grandslam over the fence in right center. The homer was Piedmont's first of the season.

After going without a run in the first three innings, Transylvania got on the board twice in the fourth. Heather Metzger led off with a single. Pinch-runner Meredith Skeeters moved to second on a groundout and to third on an Emily Safstrom single. Loren Bewley then hit a grounder back to Ray in the circle. Ray held Skeeters at third, turned and threw to first. The ball, however, was dropped by the PC firstbaseman, allowing Skeeters to score. Attempting to steal second, Bewley was caught in a run-down, allowing enough time for Safstrom to trot home from third.

After getting hit by a pitch for a third time in the game, to lead off the top of the fifth, Alves gave Piedmont a run back three batters later. With Alves standing on second, Maxey singled to centerfield to drive in PC's sixth run of the game.

With runners on second and third and two outs in the top of the seventh, Piedmont's Emily Maxey hit a low pop-up down the right field line. Transylvania was unable to field the ball cleanly, allowing Alves to score Piedmont's seventh run of the game.

Three pitches into the bottom of the seventh inning, the game went into a four-minute rain delay. When play resumed, Piedmont starter Meredith Ray allowed just one hit before getting the final three outs to record the complete-game win.