Kawehi Chan earned the 15th win of the season for JCSU against Belmont Abbey (3-2)
Belmont, NC – The Johnson C. Smith University women's softball team capped off their 2010 regular season by splitting games (3-2, 1-9) against Belmont Abbey College Saturday afternoon in a non-conference doubleheader at Crusader Field. JCSU ends the year 15-21 overall, 8-7 in the CIAA, and tied for second in the Western Division at 6-4.
In game one, JCSU trailed 2-0 until the top of the fifth. The Lady Golden Bulls took advantage of two Belmont errors to score three unearned runs. Sophomore first baseman
Alexis Webb (Durham, NC) reached by error and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. A bunt single by senior centerfield
Mauranda Elliott (Tabor City, NC) moved Webb to third, but she was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice.
Freshman shortstop Alexandria Buckley (Charlotte, NC) followed with a single that scored Elliott to give JCSU their first run and trim the lead to 2-1. Buckley and junior catcher
Samantha Smith (Whiteville, NC) scored on a fielding error off the bat of senior utility
Nijah Braddox (Brooklyn, NC) to knot the game at two apiece.
Belmont did not threaten again as the J.C. Smith took game one. Junior pitcher/shortstop
Kawehi Chan (Honolulu, HI) took the win after giving up two runs, one earned, on five hits in seven innings. Emily Self took the loss after giving up three unearned runs on six hits in six and one-thirds innings.
In second contest, Belmont wasted no time breaking the game open; scoring four times in the bottom of the first.
One inning later, Carol-Anne Sherrill made it 5-0 with a solo homer. JCSU answered with one run in the top of the third as Webb led off with a single, stole second and scored on a single by Smith to cut into the lead at 5-1. Unfortunately, that would be the last run scored for the Lady Golden Bulls.
In the bottom of the third inning, Belmont put the game away by scoring three times, using a two RBI single from Alysia Stewart. Stewart later scored on a sacrifice fly by Riveros to push the lead to 8-1.
A solo homer scored in the fourth extended the lead to 9-1. Sami Michaelis retired the side in order in the top of the fifth and ended the game due to the NCAA eight-run rule.
Michaelis earned the win after striking out eight in five innings, surrendering one run on four hits. Junior pitcher
Allycia Watanabe (Waipahu, HI) took the loss. Watanabe gave up eight runs, six earned, on nine hits in two and one-thirds innings.
Johnson C. Smith will now head to the 2010 CIAA Softball Championships in Petersburg, VA on April 15th. The double elimination tournament will begin on Thursday, April 15th with a championship being crowned on Saturday, April 17th. The complete scheduled is to be determined. Games will be played at the softball field on the campus of Virginia State University.
