#9 Brenau Softball Splits Series with Lee

April 13, 2011

Gainesville, GA - The fourth regular season edition of the 2011 NAIA Softball Coaches' Top 25 Poll was released on Tuesday. The Golden Tigers dropped 4 spots, but still remained in the Top 10; they moved from #5 to #9 in the NAIA, after being defeated by both Shorter and Lee University, this past weekend. However, the Southern States Athletic Conference is crowded, both due to the amount of talent present and the amount of conference teams represented in the nation's Top 25 Poll. The SSAC leads every conference, within the NAIA, by having 5 softball teams represented in the rankings: #2 William Carey (MS), #7 Mobile (AL), #9 Brenau (GA), #12 Belhaven (MS) and #22 Shorter (GA), as well as, 3 other teams receiving votes. 8 out of the 14 softball teams, in the Southern States Athletic Conference, are receiving recognition at the national level!

With that said, the #9 Brenau University Softball Team competed in another conference series yesterday afternoon, against Lee University.

Both the Lady Flames and the Golden Tigers were ready for this double header; they were prepared to leave everything on the field, and understood that each game could result in a team moving up or down in the standings. Lee's Softball Team entered the Lanier Park Softball Complex with a 20-13 overall record, and 11-7 in conference. As for the Golden Tigers, they were 30-6 overall, and 14-4 in the SSAC. Pressure had mounted on Brenau, more so than usual, since their junior starters Ellen Black (Toccoa, GA) and Morgan Smith (Covington, GA) were out due to injuries that they both incurred in their previous match, against Lee.

Starting off strong, in the 1st game, the Lady Flames made their presence known, at the ball park. They earned the 1st run of the game, and maintained their lead of 1-0, for the entire 1st inning. In the 2nd inning, Lee continued to add to their lead once more, with another run, bringing the score to 2-0. Brenau was unable to get on the board, until the 3rd inning, when they earned 2 runs, which allowed them to tie up the game. Each team was patiently waiting for their chance to breakout, allowing them to earn additional runs on the board. The game continued to follow this tone, up until the Golden Tigers obtained another run, in the 4th inning. At this point in the game, Brenau led Lee, with the score of 3-2. Throughout the entire 5th inning, tension was high; Brenau was focused on maintaining the lead, and Lee was determined to create another upset for the Golden Tigers. The Lady Flames did just that, when they delivered 2 additional runs, in the 6th inning. Unfortunately, for Brenau, the scored remained at 4-3, with Lee providing Brenau with a defeat, in the first game of the series.

Tiffany Schandera (Columbus, GA) and Jenny Shepherd (Martinez, GA) each made a hit a piece, while also earning a double and multiple RBIs. Jacqueline McWhorter (Columbus, GA) went 1-4 at bat, with a single, while Jana Bryant (Marietta, GA) went 2-3 at the plate, with 2 singles. Katie Bolin (Danielsville, GA), Taylor Kelly (Toccoa, GA), and Lana Lazar (Sharpsburg, GA) all went 1-3, with a single. Moreover, Anna Maness (Seagrove, NC) threw 6 strikeouts, from the circle. Collectively, the Brenau University Softball Team earned 3 runs from 8 hits, with only 1 error while at bat.

As the 2nd game began, it was evident that the Golden Tigers were not going to take their recent defeat lightly! Brenau did not waste any time, putting 2 runs on the board, in the 1st; with that said, Lee knew that they had awakened the sleeping beast! Neither team earned a run in the 2nd inning, but it was not due to a lack of effort; the pitchers seemed to use the time that they were given as a showcase, for their talents. Brenau earned 3 more runs in the 3rd, waiting for Lee to respond back, but were pleasantly surprised when they received no answer. As the 4th inning approached, the Golden Tigers took the opportunity to truly introduce Lee to Brenau, showing the Lady Flames that they have not yet had the privilege of playing the Golden Tigers that most of their other opponents have come to fear. In doing so, Brenau placed 8 additional runs on the board, bringing the lead to 13-0. Lee waited until the 5th, and final, inning to put a mark up on the scoreboard; fortunately for Brenau, they could only manage to make 1 run. The final game of the series ended with the score of 13-1, bringing the Golden Tigers to an overall record of 31-7, and a conference record of 15-5.

Shepherd dominated on the field; once again, going 3-3 at bat, with 2 homeruns, a single and 5 RBIs; not to mention, she struck out 5 of Lee's batters. Schandera went 3-4, with 2 singles, a double and 2 RBIs. Kristina Reynolds (Bogart, GA), Sally Duggan (Huntsville, AL), and Lana Lazar, each made a hit, with a single. As for Bolin, she provided the team with 2 hits, earning a double, a single, and 2 RBIs. The Golden Tigers had 13 runs off of 11 hits, without making any errors.

The Golden Tigers will be back in action, on Friday, April 15th, when they play the Lady Barons at Brewton-Parker College. The series is set to start @ 2pm, in Mount Vernon, Georgia.