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Box Score 2 CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. -- With everything stacked against it, the Lindsey Wilson College softball team brought Campbellsville (Ky.) University's undefeated run through the Mid-South Conference Tournament to a halt with 3-2 and 5-2 wins to take home it's second straight MSC Tournament Championship on Thursday at Veteran's Memorial Park.
Entering today's games, Campbellsville (33-25) was the team in the driver's seat to punch a ticket to the NAIA National Championship.
The West Division No. 3 seed Tigers hadn't lost in the double-elimination tournament and needed just one win against the West No. 1 seed Blue Raiders -- who had lost to University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) before rain postponed the tournament in Danville last weekend -- to win the MSC title.
The Tigers were also playing on their home field as a reward for reaching the finals without a loss, although Lindsey Wilson played as the home team in both games for having the higher seed.
Not looking to be the final chapter in Campbellsville's story-book run through the MSC Tournament, Lindsey Wilson (45-7) broke open a 2-2 tie in the opener on a walk-off RBI by senior catcher Ally Goniea, followed be an elimination game that saw the Blue Raiders take a 3-0 lead in the first inning off a three-run home run by junior shortstop Jamie Williams.
With the wins, the Blue Raiders earn the MSC's automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship which starts on May 19 in Gulf Shores, Ala.
The resiliency of Goniea and senior starting pitcher Anyibell Ramirez helped push the Blue Raiders past the Tigers in game one.
Goniea was the only Blue Raider with multiple hits, finishing 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs, while Ramirez (27-6) pitched a complete seven innings with seven strikeouts, six hits allowed and just one walk with two earned runs to pick up the win.
Freshman Courtney Turpin (16-17) took the loss in game one for Campbellsville after giving up two earned runs on eight hits and a walk in 6-2/3's innings.
Neither team could manufacture a run through the first four innings until Goniea finally came through with a big hit in the bottom of the fifth. With junior designated player Megan Huckaby and sophomore left fielder Alexis Rodgers already on base, Goniea ripped a base hit to score them both and finally give Ramirez some breathing room in the circle.
The thrills of a 2-0 lead quickly vanished as MSC home-run leader Alex Jane Clemmons put the Tigers on the board with a solo homer in the sixth to pull her team within one run. Then in the top of the seventh Campbellsville freshman shortstop Brooke Boils finished off the comeback with another solo homer to tie the game at two runs each.
Facing a tie game in the bottom of the seventh inning and not wanting to go into extra innings in what could possibly be the last game of the season for Lindsey Wilson, Goniea came through once again with a clutch hit.
With two outs on the board and Rodgers at second base, Goniea hit a walk-off single that allowed the speedy Rodgers to come all the way home and finish off the thrilling win to force a second game.
Offense came in a quicker fashion in game two as Williams got the Blue Raiders going in the bottom of the first inning with her three-run home run that scored junior center fielder Amy Harner and Goniea. Junior third baseman Emily Priar added to the deficit with another home run in the third to score two more runs and give Lindsey Wilson a comfortable 5-0 lead that lasted until the sixth inning when Campbellsville put together a mini run.
Lindsey Wilson starter, senior Morgan Paschall, lasted 5-2/3 innings in the circle before the Tigers scored a pair of late runs that allowed Ramirez to pick up her sixth save of the season in 1-1/3 innings of scoreless pitching to wrap up the championship.
Paschall was credited with the win after a strong start that slowed down the powerful Tiger lineup and gave her an 18-1 record on the season. Campbellsville started Turpin again in game two, but quickly switched to freshman Martina Riney in the second inning as Turpin took her second loss of the day.
The final NAIA Coaches' Top-25 Poll and 32 National-Championship qualifiers will be announced on May 10 by 3 p.m. CT. The national championship pool-play assignments and schedule will be announced on May 11 by 3 p.m. as well.
This year's NAIA Championship is being held at the Gulf Shorts Sportsplex in Gulf Shores, Ala., from May 19-25. Each team is guaranteed three-games in pool-play, playing a single game on three consecutive days.
The eight teams that advance from pool-play enter a double-elimination bracket that will decide the national champion over the final four days of play.
Game One Box Score
For more information on the NAIA Softball National Championship click here.
