Valdosta eliminates Delta State

By By Ryan Satcher/staff writer
May 4, 2003
Delta State's trip to the Gulf South Conference Fast-Pitch Softball Tournament turned out to be a short one as the Lady Statesmen dropped a heartbreaker to Valdosta State and were eliminated by Arkansas-Monticello.
Delta State lost to the Blazers of Valdosta 4-3 in eight innings to drop into the loser's bracket of the tournament and then the Cotton Blossoms of Arkansas-Monticello eliminated the Lady Statesmen 11-4
Delta State came into the tournament as the number three seed from the Western Division, but drops to 38-14 for the season and will have to wait to see if it will receive an at-large bid to the national tournament
In the game with Valdosta State, the Blazers scored a run in the bottom of the eighth inning to take the 4-3 victory.
The Blazers got an early lead with two runs in the bottom of the first inning.
Ryan Ellingsworth singled to the pitcher to start the inning. After a strike out and a walk, Tonya Coffey tripled down the right field line to bring in two runs to make the score 2-0.
Delta State came back with a run in the top of the fourth inning. Jennifer Meeks provided the run with a home run down the left field line to make the score 2-1.
Valdosta State answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Katherine Wyatt came through with a clutch single to bring in the run and make the score 3-1.
Delta State added a run in the top of the fifth on an error by the Blazers and then came back to tie the game in the top of the seventh inning.
Meredith Coleman reached base on a single and Emily Randolph pinch ran for her. Randolph was able to score on an error to tie the game and send it to extra innings.
In the extra frame, Valdosta State scored a run with two outs to take the victory. Ellingsworth singled and moved to second on a bunt. After a ground out moved her to third, Ellingsworth scored the game-winning run on an infield hit by Coffey to make the final score 4-3.
Arkansas-Monticello 11
Delta State 4
Delta State dropped its second extra inning as the Cotton Blossoms of Arkansas-Monticello exploded for seven runs in the top of the eighth inning to eliminate the Lady Statesmen.
The Cotton Blossoms jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning as Melissa Guillot brought in a run with a hit and Laura Lockaby delivered a three-run double.
The Lady Statesmen, facing elimination, got a clutch grand slam from Meredith Coleman to give them a chance to survive the elimination game.
Coleman's blast came on an 0-2 pitch with two outs in the final inning to tie the game and send it to extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, Arkansas-Monticello took back the lead and Lockaby secured the win with a three-run home run. The Cotton Blossoms scored seven runs in the inning to eliminate Delta State 11-4.
West Florida 3
Central Arkansas 0
West Florida used great pitching from Tanya Teague and Jackie Moore to take a 3-0 win over Central Arkansas in its first game of the GSC Tournament.
Teague and Moore combined to pitch the three-hit shutout and the Argonauts scored two runs in the fourth inning to secure the win.
West Florida got on the board with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Allison Milliman came through with a single to knock in the run.
The Argonauts then scored two runs in the fourth. Paige Trammel brought in one run with a single and another run was able to score on a throwing error on the play to make the final score 3-0.
Alabama-Huntsville 3
Southern Arkansas 0
Alabama Huntsville broke open a scoreless tie with three runs in the top of the seventh inning to take a 3-0 win over Southern Arkansas in its first game of the tournament.
The Lady Chargers scored three unearned runs in the seventh inning and Katrina Fomich closed out a fine pitching performance to take the victory.
In the seventh, Shannon Sims reached base on a fielding error. After a popout, Kristi Braverman ripped a double off the left field fence to give the Lady Chargers runners on second and third.
Pinch hitter Ashley Potter put down a squeeze bunt which was misplayed to allow a run to score. Kellie Corder followed with a two-run single to make the final score 3-0.
Fomich allowed just four hits and walked just two batters in the game to pick up the win for Alabama-Huntsville. Krystal Poulin was the tough-luck loser after allowing four hits and no earned runs in the seven innings of work.
Southern Arkansas 2
Central Arkansas 0
Southern Arkansas got a two-run homer from Cassie Blackwood in the second inning to take a 2-0 win over Central Arkansas and avoid elimination.
Sarah Cotaya started off the top of the second inning with a singled and Blackwood followed with a blast to left field to make the score 2-0.
Central Arkansas threatened in a couple of innings, but Blackwood held on the Bears to no runs on six hits to pick up the victory.
The loss eliminated Central Arkansas from the tournament and helped Southern Arkansas advance in the losers' bracket.
West Florida 9
Alabama-Huntsville 1
West Florida scored four runs in the top of the fifth and three runs in the sixth to take a 9-1 eight-run rule victory over Alabama Huntsville in a winners' bracket game.
Jackie Moore picked up the win after a one-run, three hit performance. She struck out five batters in six innings in the victory.
West Florida scored a run in each of the first two innings and then exploded for seven runs in the final two innings to advance to the winners' bracket championship.
Allison Milliman had four RBIs to lead the Argonauts in the big victory over the Lady Chargers.