SSAC News
Sat, May 1, 2010 - [Softball]
COLUMBUS, Ga. - The last time the Lee University softball
team won the Southern States Athletic Conference regular season and
tournament titles was during the 2006 season, when the team posted a
program record 55 wins. The Lady Flames matched both of those
accomplishments on Saturday afternoon.
Johana Gomez blasted two home runs and pitched a complete game for Lee, as the Lady Flames (55-4) claimed the SSAC tourney title from Shorter College (47-14) 10-3, equaling the program record for wins in the process.Lee broke through in the top of the second inning. After a single from Danielle Balough and a walk to Hernanza Ruiz, Caitlin Haley came through with her first two RBI of the tournament as she singled up the middle to put the Lady Flames on top 2-0. Gomez followed with the first of her two long balls in the bottom of the third - a mammoth shot to left field that pushed the Lady Flames' lead to 4-0. Krista Goodlet followed with an RBI two-bagger, and through three innings, Lee led the game 5-0.
Shorter took advantage of a pair of Lee errors to score three unearned tallies in the top of the fourth - the only runs Gomez would allow. Elisabeth Barber highlighted the frame with a two-run single, but Tabitha Farrow fired a strike to second base that retired Barber and ended the threat.
Balough and Katelyn Grosch each notched RBI singles in the fifth, and in the sixth, Gomez lined a homer to left-center field, her 16th of the season, as Lee put up five runs between the two frames to claim the win 10-3.
Gomez (28-1) allowed three unearned runs on just two hits, walking two and fanning seven in picking up the win. One day after holding the Lady Flames to just one run, Libby Munson (25-5) was touched up for five runs on four hits in two innings, and she was charged with the loss. Barber gave up five runs on nine Lee safeties in four innings of relief for Shorter.
Gomez was 3-for-4 with a double and two homers in the game, scoring three times and driving in three. She was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, as she hit .600 (6-10) in the tournament, with a double, two homers, five runs scored and five RBI. In the circle, she was dominant as well. She notched a 3-0 record in the tourney, allowing just five hits and three unearned runs in 18 innings with 21 strikeouts. Opposing hitters hit just .081 off the Lady Flames' right-hander.
Ruiz and Goodlet each had a double and a single in three trips to the dish. Ruiz scored three times and Goodlet knocked in two as well; while Balough and Haley each singled twice for Lee. Balough scored two runs, and Haley had the two runs batted in.
"I'm proud of the effort and focus we got from the girls today," coach Emily Russell noted. "Even when things started to look shaky, we buckled down, scored some runs and kept the pressure on Shorter. I was also impressed with our base-running today, we were able to capitalize on some of their mistakes."
"Johana was incredibly focused this week. All she wanted this year was to make it to nationals, and she was able to use that motivation to her advantage, and she dominated all week."
With the victory, the Lady Flames lock up the SSAC's automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship Tournament in Decatur, Ala. Lee now awaits to see in which pool they will be placed for the 32-team tournament, which will be held from May 20-26.
Johana Gomez blasted two home runs and pitched a complete game for Lee, as the Lady Flames (55-4) claimed the SSAC tourney title from Shorter College (47-14) 10-3, equaling the program record for wins in the process.Lee broke through in the top of the second inning. After a single from Danielle Balough and a walk to Hernanza Ruiz, Caitlin Haley came through with her first two RBI of the tournament as she singled up the middle to put the Lady Flames on top 2-0. Gomez followed with the first of her two long balls in the bottom of the third - a mammoth shot to left field that pushed the Lady Flames' lead to 4-0. Krista Goodlet followed with an RBI two-bagger, and through three innings, Lee led the game 5-0.
Shorter took advantage of a pair of Lee errors to score three unearned tallies in the top of the fourth - the only runs Gomez would allow. Elisabeth Barber highlighted the frame with a two-run single, but Tabitha Farrow fired a strike to second base that retired Barber and ended the threat.
Balough and Katelyn Grosch each notched RBI singles in the fifth, and in the sixth, Gomez lined a homer to left-center field, her 16th of the season, as Lee put up five runs between the two frames to claim the win 10-3.
Gomez (28-1) allowed three unearned runs on just two hits, walking two and fanning seven in picking up the win. One day after holding the Lady Flames to just one run, Libby Munson (25-5) was touched up for five runs on four hits in two innings, and she was charged with the loss. Barber gave up five runs on nine Lee safeties in four innings of relief for Shorter.
Gomez was 3-for-4 with a double and two homers in the game, scoring three times and driving in three. She was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, as she hit .600 (6-10) in the tournament, with a double, two homers, five runs scored and five RBI. In the circle, she was dominant as well. She notched a 3-0 record in the tourney, allowing just five hits and three unearned runs in 18 innings with 21 strikeouts. Opposing hitters hit just .081 off the Lady Flames' right-hander.
Ruiz and Goodlet each had a double and a single in three trips to the dish. Ruiz scored three times and Goodlet knocked in two as well; while Balough and Haley each singled twice for Lee. Balough scored two runs, and Haley had the two runs batted in.
"I'm proud of the effort and focus we got from the girls today," coach Emily Russell noted. "Even when things started to look shaky, we buckled down, scored some runs and kept the pressure on Shorter. I was also impressed with our base-running today, we were able to capitalize on some of their mistakes."
"Johana was incredibly focused this week. All she wanted this year was to make it to nationals, and she was able to use that motivation to her advantage, and she dominated all week."
With the victory, the Lady Flames lock up the SSAC's automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship Tournament in Decatur, Ala. Lee now awaits to see in which pool they will be placed for the 32-team tournament, which will be held from May 20-26.
