Friday, March 9, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Travis Jarome, Sports Information Director

NORTH GEORGIA PICKS UP WIN IN FUN IN THE SUN TOURNAMENT
Davenport gets win #250 at North Georgia

BRADENTON, Fla. - North Georgia College & State University erupted in the bottom of the fourth inning, and cruised to a comfortable 10-2 victory over Saginaw Valley State University in the second day of the Fun In The Sun Tournament at the G.T. Bray Municipal Complex Friday afternoon. The win gave North Georgia head coach Mike Davenport his 250th victory at the institution.

After getting out a bases loaded jam in the top of the fourth inning, the Saints exploded offensively in the bottom of the fourth inning. Freshman Jessica Skeels led off the inning with a single to right and advanced to second on a fielding lapse on the rightfielder. The next batter, junior Candace Shubert lined a single to right, advancing Skeels to third and Shubert advanced to second on the throw home. The very next batter, freshman Leslie Smith lined a two-run single to left center to tie the game at 2-2.

With the game tied, and a runner at first with no one out, junior outfielder Brittany Cobb lined a ball to right that found its way over the fence for a two-run homerun, and a 4-2 North Georgia lead. The inning was kept alive when junior third baseman Krista Bess bunted her way on to the bag. She was sacrificed over by senior catcher Brooke Kesler, and scored on a one-out single to center by freshman Natasha Willemse. The freshman took second on a single by freshman second baseman Laura Voyles, and the duo chose to partake in a double steal on a 1-1 count. Sophomore outfielder Whitney Propes, the next batter, struck out swinging but reached first on a wild pitch. Willemse scored on the wild pitch, Voyles moved to third and Propes made her way all the way to second base. Following the strike out, Skeels flew out to center and Shubert struck out to end the 22-minute inning for the Saints that accounted for six runs and seven hits.

The Saints ended the first game of the day by scoring four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to move their record to 13-4. After a lead-off walk to Smith, the Cardinal made a pitching change. Cobb reached on a fielder's choice to the second baseman, a play in which Smith was safe at second on a fielding error by the shortstop. Bess sacrificed both runners over, and then Kesler drove Smith in on a hard hit ball to third. After a stolen base, Willemse doubled home Cobb and then Voyles delivered the final blow with a two-run single to center.

Saginaw Valley (6-5) scored two runs in the first inning without the benfit of a hit, reaching starter Andrea Moss (9-1) early. Lorelea Rice reached on a lead-off walk to start the game, and she quickly advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Nicole Fick. Fick reached first on a fielder's choice as the throw from Willemse ended up in centerfield, putting runners at second and third with no outs in the top of the first inning for the Cardinal.

Stacy Kraatz attempted to move the runners, but gounded out to reserve infielder Leslie Smith at shortstop. The next batter, Jessica Anhel, grounded out to Voyles pushing Rice across for the first run of the game. The second came when Marsha Beaubien hit a hard ground ball to Smith that made it through the right side, and gave Saginaw Valley a 2-0 lead.

The Cardinal threatened again in the top of the second but Voyles turned in the defensive play of the tournament for the Saints. After two runners reached base with one out, Rice lined the ball to Voyles for the second out. She instinctively ran to second and tagged the bag for the third out, and then threw to first (for the fourth out) to end the inning.

In the second game of the day for North Georgia and Grand Valley State battled in an epic contest before the Lakers rallied for a 1-0 victory.

Grand Valley State rallied in the seventh with the first two batters reaching base. Lisa Pruess started the inning by reaching base on a throwing error and she advances to second on a seeing-eye single (bunt) by Becky Rudenga. The two coaches then traded subsitutions as GVSU entered Breanne Kronberg was called on to pinch-hit, and Moss entered as the pitcher. Kronberg delivered a single to load the bases with no outs and set the table for Karen Walters. Walters long fly ball scored the winning run as the Lakers claimed victory.

Through three innings, Grand Valley State's Lori Andjelich and North Georgia's Nicole Adkison combined to allow just two runners to reach base. Andjelich had a no-hitter through the three innings, while Adkison allowed on hit and one runner to reach base by error.

The Lakers recorded the first threat in the bottom of the fourth inning when Kristin Moleski led off the inning with a single by a diving Smith on the right side. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Elizabeth Smith, who reached first via a fielder's choice. Then the defensive plays starting to work for the Saints, starting with Adkison. The freshman fielded a comebacker and threw to Bess at third for the first out. Smith followed with a throw over to third after a hard hit ground ball to record the second out. Shubert recorded the final out in right to subdue the Grand Valley State rally.

The no-hitter by Andjelich was finally broken up in the top of the fifth inning when Smith singled to a diving shortstop, who did not attempt a throw to first. The Saints got their first baserunner on with one out in the inning and turned to Cobb, who all ready had one homerun on the day. The junior flied out to deep left field for the second out of the inning. Unfortunately the Saints couldn't push a run across, and the game remained scoreless through 4 1/2 innings.

North Georgia had another chance in the top of the sixth inning when they picked up a pair of two-out hits, but were able to get a run across the plate.

North Georgia (13-5, 4-0 PBC) will play three games tomorrow beginning at 1:00 pm when they take take Carson-Newman. They will also face Mars Hill at 5:00 pm and Barry University at 7:00 pm to round out Day Three of the tournament.

-NGCSU-

Related Item: Box Score (vs. Saginaw Valley State)
Related Item: Box Score (vs. Grand Valley State)

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