By: FVSU Office of Sports Information
The semifinal game between the number one seed Lady Wildcats of Fort Valley State University (FVSU) and the number two seed Lady Panthers of Clark Atlanta University (CAU) featured two teams who had only hours earlier posted incredible come-from-behind wins in the quarterfinals of the SIAC Softball Tournament. As the only two teams remaining without a tournament loss, the winner of this initial semifinal contest should have a decided advantage going into tomorrow's championship round. The teams played with that motivation in mind.
In first inning action, the Lady Panthers scored the game's first runs after Brittany Breckenridge opened the game with a single and was later driven in on a single by Ashley Brooks. The 1-0 CAU lead was evaporated in the bottom half of the first inning when the Lady Wildcats generated a run after a
Brittany Brown single and couple of Lady Panther turnovers.
Now tied at 1-1, the Lady Panthers did not score in the top of the second inning. FVSU took the lead with a score in the bottom half when they took advantage of a lead -off walk by
Kim Hughes, a single by
Wateria Hall and a sacrifice fly by
Jazmine McDaniel to drive in Hughes. FVSU led for the first time, 2-1.
At the top of the third, the lead went back to CAU. With Arlena Gillespie on base after an FVSU error followed by a single by Kenisha Gibson, Breckenridge sent Gillespie home after a single and Brooks drove in Gibson with a sacrifice fly. After a scoreless bottom half by the Lady Wildcats, CAU now led, 3-2.
In the very next inning, the lead shifted back to FVSU. After Brown reached on a fielder's choice, she was driven in when
Katara Wilson doubled.
Ronkeya Garner batted next and slammed a two-run homer to give the Lady Wildcats a 5-3 lead.
At the top of the fifth, the lead swung back to CAU. Synne Baker singled followed by Gillespie reaching on an FVSU error. Gibson followed with a single which drove home Baker. Then Elizabeth Handy singled to score Gillespie and Gibson. CAU regained the lead, 6-5.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Lady Wildcats pushed home two runs to take the lead once again, 7-6. After a Hughes base hit,
Tawanna Barker doubled to score Hughes. Afterwards Hall drew a walk and subsequently scored on a wild pitch. FVSU led after the fifth, 9-6.
Neither team scored in the sixth inning. And while the Lady Panthers pushed across one run in the top of the seventh inning, it was not enough to overcome the Lady Wildcat lead as FVSU won the semifinal contest, 9-7.
“We knew that CAU is an extremely good hitting team, said FVSU Head Coach Jimmie Reed. I told our team that our biggest challenge was to remain focused and to match every hitting spree that they went on with one of our own. It's difficult to play from behind against a team like Clark Atlanta. Tonight we were able to match their prowess at the plate and prevent that from happening. I'm so proud of the team for the way they faced this challenge and delivered at such a critical time.”
The Wildcats now advance to tomorrow's championship games and will face either Tuskegee University, Kentucky State University or Clark Atlanta University in the championship round. Since FVSU is the only team without a loss in tournament play, they would have to win only one game to claim the title while either opponent would have to defeat the Lady Wildcats twice to win the championship.
-Wildcats Athletics-
