The 2011 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Softball Championship Game featured the the number one seed Lady Wildcats of Fort Valley State University (FVSU) and the number two seed Thorobrettes of Kentucky State University(KSU). This would be the second meeting of the teams in this year's tournament. FVSU defeated KSU in the quarterfinal round.
In the championship game, the Thorobrettes scored two runs in the first inning when Danielle Garay and Jenna Shingary reached on singles. Garay scored on a single by Shenaaz Burrell and Shingary scored on a sacrifice fly by Lamara Parker.
In the bottom half of the first, after a single by
Katara Wilson and a walk to
Ronkeya Garner, left fielder
Kim Hughes cleared the bases with a three-run homer to give the Lady Wildcats a 3-2 lead.
After a scoreless top half of the second inning by KSU, FVSU built on its lead with a four run bottom half. A walk to
Jazmine McDaniel and an infield error put
Jessica Buchanan on base for the Lady Wildcats. Lead-off hitter
Brittany Brown then singled. Wilson then singled to score McDaniel and Buchanan followed by a single by Garner to score Brown and Wilson. After two innings, the Lady Wildcats led 7-2.
The FVSU lead was shaved to 7-3 in the top of the third inning after a bases loaded situation for KSU led to Parker being hit by a pitch to send home a run. However, FVSU responded with two runs in the bottom of the third to stretch their lead to 9-3.
While the Thorobrettes did not score in the top of the fourth, FVSU added more in the bottom of the inning.
Oveyana Gordon led off with a single.
Kim Hughes singled followed by a single from
Tawanna Barker which drove in Gordon. After a walk to
Wateria Hall and a series of Thorobrette errors, the Lady Wildcats pushed across an additional seven runs on a total three hits and four KSU errors to take a 16-3 lead.
Because the Thorobrettes were unable to score in the top half of the fifth inning, the eight run rule took effect and game ended with the 16-3 Lady Wildcat championship win. This was the second SIAC Softball Championship in history of FVSU. The Lady Wildcats won the 2001 crown.
FVSU Head Coach Jimmie Reed has led the FVSU Softball Program since its inception in 1999. When asked how he felt about this year's championship he responded, “This group of young ladies is very special. The commitment they have displayed from the start of pre-season training throughout the season has been incredible. They were under no illusion about what it would take to win the championship and they pushed each other to make it happen.”
Senior pitcher/infielder
Ronkeya Garner was named the tournament's most valuable player and was a member of last year's team who lost in the championship game. “We fed off the loss in last year's championship game, Garner said. We learned a lot from the loss and vowed to write a different chapter this season. By winning the title this year, we couldn't ask for a better ending.”
In addition to Garner's selection as tournament most valuable player, teammates
Katara Wilson and
Tawanna Barker joined her in their selection to the All-Tournament Team. Reed was named Outstanding Coach of the Tournament.
With the championship win, the Lady Wildcats will receive an automatic invitation to the NCAA South Regional Tournament.
