BIRMINGHAM, AL - The Winthrop softball team's roller-coaster ride in the Big South tournament came to an end at the hands of defending conference champions Texas A&M Corpus-Christi. The top-seeded Islanders defeated the second-seeded Lady Eagles 3-0 in the championship game on Saturday in Birmingham, Alabama.
The Lady Eagles (42-24-1) were without the services of Kelli Johnson. Head coach Mark Cooke felt it was best to sit his ace pitcher, as Johnson's workload over the past three days took its toll. Johnson had pitched every inning of Winthrop's five previous games in the tournament, including a 3-1 win over Coastal Carolina earlier in the day that put the Lady Eagles in the championship round.
"Her legs were just rubber," Cooke said.
Shahna Ashard got the start in Johnson's place.
The Islanders (39-19) jumped out to a 1-0 in the first inning on Jennifer Golden's RBI single drove in Christy Cortez.
After Islander pitcher Sarah Pauly struck out the first six Winthrop batters she faced, Stephanie Turney knocked a double into center field, then advanced to third on Ashard's ground out. Caryn Little fouled out, and that brought up Janiva Willis. In a showdown between two of the Big South's best, Pauly got Willis to strike out swinging on a 3-2 curveball to end the inning.
Texas A&M Corpus-Christi added two runs in the bottom half of the third. After Katie Evans was hit by a pitch, Jennifer Golden hit a deep fly ball to right field that bounced off the top of the wall and snuck just inside the foul pole for a home run.
Winthrop's defense prevented further damage in the fourth. Danna Haydar came in relief of Ashard (13-8) before the inning started, and althought the Islanders loaded the bases wth no outs, the Lady Eagles held them at bay, keeping the ball in the infield and recording three straight outs.
Winthrop's offense could not produce against Sarah Pauly (27-8). The two-time Big South Pitcher of the Year struck out 15 batters while giving up just one hit. Pauly was named the tournament's MVP for the second year in a row.
"We just ran out of gas at the end and ran into a great pitcher at the end, but our kids played hard all weekend," Cooke said. "The first game was a quality game, we ended that one on a great note."
"These kids did not give up, even through the last at bat. They played hard, it was fun, and we enjoyed ourselves," he said.
The loss did not take away anything the team has accomplished, according to Cooke.
"42 wins and 51 home runs are pretty good," he said.
This was the third time in the last four years that Winthrop has lost in the championship round.
The Lady Eagles did not go home empty handed, as three Lady Eagles were named to the All-Tournament team: Turney, Lindsey Merriman, and Kelli Johnson.
2004 Big South Conference Softball All-Tournament Team
Sarah Pauly, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (MVP)
Jennifer Golden, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Shana Washington, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Christy Cortez, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Stephanie Turney, Winthrop
Lindsey Merriman, Winthrop
Kelli Johnson, Winthrop
Delane Oscarson, Coastal Carolina
Brittany Nelson, Coastal Carolina
Nikki Rombough, Birmingham-Southern
Kristina Villavicencio, Birmingham-Southern
