Sunday, April 11, 2010

UNA tied for fourth spot in GSC East

By staff reports, The Decatur Daily

For the second straight day, the North Alabama softball team had to settle for a split at the Gulf South Conference Crossover after winning the early contest and dropping the second.

Following a 2-1 extra-inning victory over Ouachita Baptist, the Lions were unable to plate a run in a 2-0 loss to Delta State on Saturday at Wilson Morgan Park.

The split by UNA, along with a pair of one-run wins by West Alabama on the same day, puts the two teams back into a tie for the fourth-and-final East Division spot for the GSC tournament. Both teams own a 7-11 conference record with two crossover games and six division games remaining, including a double-header between the two teams on the UWA campus.

In the first game on Saturday, the Lions pounded out 11 hits but needed a two-out single by Andrea Palmer to score the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning. The hit scored Heather Suddoth from third base and secured the win.

Jennifer Sexton went the distance in the circle for North Alabama, pitching all nine innings and scattering five hits. With the win, the senior improves to 14-11, while her eight strikeouts ups her season total to a GSC-leading 185 on the year.

Maggie Eades was 3-for-4 at the plate while Ally Pridmore, Suddoth and Natalie Harrison each posted 2-for-4 showings.

In the second game, Delta State’s Edie Oliver won a 2-0 pitching duel over UNA’s Laurin Watts. Oliver tossed seven innings in the complete-game shutout and added a pair of strikeouts to get the win.

The Lions will close out play at the crossover with a pair of games on Sunday. UNA will take on Arkansas-Monticello at noon, then face Christian Brothers at 2 p.m.

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