May 29, 2010

Metro State Softball Stays Alive in NCAA Championships

Courtesy Andy Schlichting, Metro State Sports Information Director

Vs. North Georgia

No. 4 Metro State stuns No. 1 North Georgia 4-1 in an elimination game at the NCAA Division II College Softball World Series. Once again, Christie Robinson (30-3) out-pitched a first team All-American, allowing just one run in seven innings, while battling seven more illegal pitch calls. NGCSU righthander Sarah Phillips allowed four hits in six innings, dropping to 44-2 this season.

Tara Mickelson broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run to right-center. The score would remain until hit a towering, two-run blast to left in the sixth inning, scoring Sarah Rusch.

North Georgia entered its 6-1 loss to Valdosta State (Ga.) on Friday with a perfect 51-0 record. The 51-game winning streak was the second-longest in Division II history.

Vs. Wayne State (MI)

No. 4 Metro State, which broke the NCAA Division II single season home run record earlier this season, used small ball to score its only run of the game in a 1-0 victory over No. 7 Wayne State (Mich.) in an elimination game at the Division II College Softball World Series on Saturday. Molly Clark scored from third base on an error in the top of the fifth inning with two outs after advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kellie Nishikida and to third on a wild pitch.

The Roadrunners improved to 52-5 this season, while the Warriors' season ended at 52-13. Metro State will face No. 1 North Georgia in another elimination game tonight at 7:30 p.m. North Georgia lost its first game of the year 6-1 to Valdosta State (Ga.) on Friday.

Roadrunners ace Christie Robinson (29-3) out-dueled consensus first team All-America lefthander Casey Hanes, scattering five singles and striking out four in the complete game shutout, her ninth of the season. Only two of Wayne State's hits reached the outfield. The Warriors failed to advance a runner past second base in the game and all three times WSU did get a runner to second base, Robinson recorded a strikeout to end the inning.

Tara Mickelson singled to left with two outs in the first, but was stranded after Hanes got a pop out in foul territory to end the inning. Robinson allowed an infield hit in the bottom of the inning, but got a strikeout to end the inning after Jaci Blanton advanced to second on a ground out.

Clark singled to left-center in the second with one out, but again Metro State left a runner on first to end the inning.

Robinson fired perfect innings in the second and fourth and avoided a threat in the third after a leadoff single by Nicole Abel. The Warriors failed to get a sacrifice bunt down as Lauren Histed popped up to Robinson for the first out of the inning. A fielder's choice started the second out, though an error allowed Alison Allen to move to second. Robinson got Blanton swinging to end the inning.

Metro State went down in order in the third and the fourth innings, but Clark started things in the fifth with a lined single down the right field line. Nishikida successfully moved her to second with a sacrifice bunt. After a strikeout allowed Clark to move to third as the Warriors were forced to throw to first with the dropped third strike, Lauren Hainlen hit a ground ball between third and short and the throw to first skipped past the first baseman, allowing Hainlen to reach and Clark to score with two outs.

Robinson again pitched around an infield hit that led off the bottom of the fifth. Wayne State tried to get a two-out rally going in the sixth when Rebecca Stanley reached on an infield single and Becca Ryan lined a base hit to center. Once again, Robinson struck out Stephanie LeClair to end the threat.

Brittany Omelanchuk led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk. But Steph Foreman again failed to get a bunt down and popped up to third base in foul territory. Abel lined the first pitch she saw back to Robinson, who doubled off pinch runner Bailey Reid at first base to end the game.