Golden Tigers Run for National Championship Ends

GULF SHORES, Ala. - Junior second baseman Angela Lovelady produced a 2-run RBI double in the sixth inning to lift Oklahoma City to a 2-1 victory over Brenau in the final elimination game of the 2012 NAIA Softball National Championship Tuesday night.

Senior pitcher Lily LaVelle pitched her second complete game of the day and earned her seventh victory of the tournament, which tied a championship record. The Bridge Creek, Okla. native struck out ten, including two in the bottom of the seventh inning, to preserve the win.

The win advances Oklahoma City (47-19) to their 13th national title game and will have to defeat Shorter (Ga.) twice to claim its ninth NAIA national championship.

The Golden Tigers (44-16), who were seeking their first-ever national championship game appearance with a victory over the Stars, took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Junior third baseman Tiffany Schandera opened the inning with a double moved to third on a passed ball and scored an unearned run via a wild pitch.

Oklahoma City did not take advantage of scoring opportunities early, leaving two runners on base in the third, fourth and fifth innings.In the sixth, Kylee Rounsaville was hit by a pitch and moved to third on a double by Magean De La Torre.After an out, Lovelady roped a double into the left field corner to score Rounsaville and De La Torre.

"I was really hoping she would give me something inside and happened togive me something middle in," Lovelady said. "I wanted to hit it as hard as I could to score those runs."

LaVelle surrendered two hits on the night, both to Schandera, along with one walk. Anna Maness took the loss in the circle for Brenau, striking out four.

With the loss, Brenau ends its season at 44-16. The Golden Tigers wrapped up their second all-time national championship appearance and went 5-2 in the national tournament this year to stand 6-4 all-time in national championship action.

Chad Waller

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics

Director of Communications and Sports Information