Co-Lin Lady Wolves capture second in the nation

Lady Wolves 2nd in the nation

NORMAL, Ill. – The four-time defending national champion Phoenix College Lady Bears defeated the Copiah-Lincoln Community College Lady Wolves 9-1 in the championship game of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II National Softball Tournament in Normal, Ill. The Lady Wolves, MACJC State and NJCAA Region 23 Champions, finish the 2008 season with a 35-12.

Phoenix 9, Co-Lin 1

The Lady Wolves scored their only run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Becca Bailey was hit by a pitch. Coach Allen Kent inserted Brittany Watts, who broke her finger at practice earlier in the week, to pinch hit for Rebecca Rousseau. Rousseau re-entered the game after one pitch and walked. Missy Paulina, who pinch hit for Alex Foster, walked loading the bases. Catcher Becca Bone grounded out to second to score Ashley Jones, who ran for Bailey.

Co-Lin, who only managed three hits in the game, was led by centerfielder Emily Langley with 2 hits. Rousseau singled.

Absorbing the loss was Rousseau (4-2). She allowed 3 earned runs on six hits. Struck out 5 and walked 4. Bailey came in to pitch in the fifth inning. She allowed 1 hit. Meleah Brown come in to pitch last two innings.

Bailey and shortstop Ashley Sykes were named to the All-Tournament Team. Bailey went 3-0 for the Lady Wolves and had an ERA of 1.66. Sykes hit .500 in the tournament including a double and 4 RBIs.

Co-Lin 1, Heartland 0

Bailey pitched a 2-hit shutout as the Lady Wolves defeated the home-standing Heartland College (Ill.) Hawks 1-0 to reach the championship game. Heartland (38-12) is only in their first year of competition.

The Lady Wolves scored the only run in the game on a squeeze bunt in the top of the seventh inning. Second baseman Kayla Crochet singled to left field to lead off the inning and advanced to second on an error. Bailey sacrificed bunted to the pitcher to advance Crochet to third. Rousseau laid down a bunt to score Crochet.

The Hawks left a runner stranded in the seventh. Third baseman Sarah Waylock led off the inning with a single to left field. After 1 out, designated player Kate Singler grounded out to third advancing the tying run to second. Bailey struck out pitcher Amber May to end the game.

Bailey picked up her third win of the tournament. She struck out 4 and walked 1.

At the plate, Crochet led the Lady Wolves with 2 hits. Rousseau and Paulina singled.

Phoenix 8, Co-Lin 5

The Lady Wolves took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Third baseman Meleah Brown walked and advanced to second on an Ashley Sykes single. Starting pitcher Becca Bailey singled to left field scoring Brown.

Co-Lin added another run in the second inning for a 2-0 lead. With 1 out, right fielder Becca Boone reached on an error. Left fielder Candace Avants was hit by a pitch. Center fielder Emily Langley reached on a fielder’s choice advancing Boone to third. Boone scored on a wild pitch.

The Lady Wolves took a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fifth when Crochet hit a 3-run home run to left field.

Crochet absorbed the loss for the Lady Wolves allowing 4 earned runs on 6 hits. She struck out 1 and walked 3. Starting pitcher Becca Bailey allowed 2 runs on four hits, struck out 4 and walked 1 in three innings. Rousseau relieved Crochet in the middle of the sixth inning. She struck out 4 and allowed 2 hits.

Ashley Sykes led the Lady Wolves at the plate with 3 singles. Crochet homered. Langley, and Bailey added a single apiece.

Co-Lin 9, Johnson County 5

Second baseman Kayla Crochet hit a walk-off grand slam home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Lady Wolves the 9-5 win over the Johnson County Community College Cavaliers.

The Lady Wolves scored a run in the bottom of the fist when Sykes doubled down the left field line. Crochet singled to score Sykes.

Co-Lin took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the second. Left fielder Candace Avants walked and stole second. Langley hit a bunt single advancing Avants to third. Rousseau reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second. Sykes hit a 2-RBI single to left field.

The Lady Wolves plated a run in the bottom of the fifth to take a 4-3 lead. Sykes led off the inning with a single. Crochet hit a bunt single down the third base line. Bailey singled center field to score Sykes.

The Lady Wolves tied the game at 5-all in the bottom of the inning. Meleah Brown doubled to right center and scored an Avants single.

Bailey was the winning pitcher, she struck out 15, walked 1 allowed 5 runs on 5 hits in 9 innings.

At the plate for the Lady Wolves, Sykes doubled and singled twice. Crochet homered and singled twice. Langley and Bailey singled twice. Brown doubled. Also adding support with a single was Avants.

Co-Lin 2, Delaware 0

Bailey threw a 2-hit shutout as the Lady Wolves posted a 6-0 win over the Delaware Technical & Community College Lady Roadrunners The Lady Wolves drew a first round by in the tournament. Bailey (19-4), a sophomore from Baton Rouge, stuck out 12 batters and walked 1.

“Becca had everything working today, it was fun to watch,” said Co-Lin head coach Allen Kent. “They (Delaware Tech) swung the bats well in their first game today. Bailey tied the tournament record for strikeouts in a game with 12, but she only threw six innings.”

Rousseau came in and pitch a perfect seventh inning striking out the side.

The Lady Wolves (33-10) got on the scoreboard in the third inning. Left fielder Candace Avants led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on an Emily Langley single. They advanced a base on a double steal. Shortstop Ashley Sykes ripped a single up the middle to score both runs.

After one out in the fourth inning catcher Missy Paulina singled. Meleah Brown walked. Avants hit a sacrifice grounded out to the pitcher to move up the runners. Centerfielder Emily Langley walked to load the bases. First baseman Rebecca Rousseau hit a 2-run single up the middle scoring Paulina and Brown.

The Lady Wolves plated 2 more runs in the top of the seventh inning. Sykes led off the inning with a walk. Kayla Crochet doubled to right center advancing Sykes to third. Bailey hit a fly ball to center field to score Sykes. Freshman Becca Boone got a pinch-hit single to right field scoring Crochet.

Leading the Lady Wolves’ 11-hit attach with 2 hits apiece were Sykes, Bailey and Missy Paulina. Crochet added a double. Adding single hits were Langley, Rousseau, Alex Foster, and Boone.

“We swung the bats very well, we had several very hard hit balls that were caught,” said Kent. “Ashley Sykes and Rebecca Rousseau each had clutch 2 RBI singles.”