The Piedmont College softball team saw its memorable 2006 season come to an end tonight with a 3-2 loss to host Roanoke College at the NCAA Division-III Regional at Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, VA. The Lady Lions finish the eight-team regional in fourth-place highlighting one of the best years in the history of the program.
Piedmont advance to the third-place game with a 3-1 victory over seventh-seeded Denison University before being eliminated by second-seeded Roanoke in the third-place game.
The Lady Lions' season end with a 33-11 overall record which included a perfect Great South Athletic Conference regular-season, a GSAC tournament runner-up finish, a third-place finish at the National Christian College Athletic Association National Championship, the school's first-ever NCAA post-season berth, and a fourth-place NCAA-III regional finish. The Lady Lions were also ranked as high as fourth in the NCAA Division-III Atlantic Regional during the year.
Game #1 Recap
The Lady Lions got a strong pitching performance from left-hander Meredith Ray who improved to 22-5 on the season after allowing just one unearned run on five hits. Ray struck out a pair, walked one, allowed just one DU runner to reach third base and set down the last 12 batters she faced.
Denison cracked the scoreboard in the top-half of the first inning when lead off hitter Emily Sack reached on a Piedmont error, advanced to third on a single by MacKenzie Breedin and scored when Breedin got caught in a run down trying to steal second base.
With one out and a runner first-base in the Piedmont half of the first inning, Mandy Fuston connected off Denison starter Rachel Thomas for a homerun to left field to put the Lady Lions up 2-1.
Piedmont extended its lead to 3-1 in the third inning after Amanda Powell led off the with a double to right-center field moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Leah Della Torre and came around to score on a single up the middle by Heather Denne.
Thomas took the loss, dropping her record to 9-6. After allowing the run in the third inning, Thomas settled down to retire 10 of the last 11 batters she faced. She surrendered just four hits, struck out seven and walked just one.
Piedmont (33-10) advances on to face the winner of the Roanoke and Transylvania game while Denison finishes its season with a 33-13 record.
Game #2 Recap
Piedmont (33-11) dented the scoreboard first when May Alves belted a solo home run to left field off Roanoke starter Amy Gillis, giving the Lady Lions an early 1-0 lead.
Whitney Purvis singled with one out in the fourth inning to start a Roanoke rally. Purvis advanced to second base when Andrea Grams grounded out to first base. Lyndsi Craig delivered a line drive single up the middle to plate Purvis and knot the game at 1-1.
The Lady Lions struck back in the next half inning to take a 2-1 lead. Amanda Powell led the inning off with a single then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Leah Della Torre. After Gillis retired Heather Denne, Mandy Fuston knocked home Powell with a single to center field.
In the Maroon fifth inning, Hillary Hudgins walked with one out and Loren Messick singled to put runners on first and second base. After a wild pitch advanced both runners a base, Tamara Poles flied out in foul territory in right field, Hudgins tagged up and scored to tie the game. Messick came around to give RC a 3-2 lead when Ashley Pierce singled back up the middle.
Gillis got the win for Roanoke to improve her record to 9-2 on the season. The right-hander tossed five innings, allowing just two runs on five hits and striking out two. Lyndsi Craig posted two innings of perfect relief to pick up her first save of the season.
Meredith Ray suffered the loss to drop her record to 22-6 on the season. Ray went the distance, allowing the eight hits and three runs while striking out seven.
