ROCKY MOUNT, NC – The William Peace Softball Team took down no. 13 Averett in five innings followed by a come-from-behind win against Greensboro, clinching a spot in Sunday's championship series. The Pacers will face LaGrange College out of the winner's bracket starting at 9:00 a.m. in search of their first USA South Conference Championship in program history.
William Peace 11, Averett 2 – 5 innings
After dropping both games to no. 13 Averett during the regular season, the Pacers got the last laugh, dominating the top-seeded Cougars in an 11-2, five-inning win.
Averett (34-3-1) loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the first, but WPU escaped the inning trailing only 1-0. The Pacers responded in the bottom half of the inning, as Casey Taylor made the Cougars pay for the three errors they committed in the frame with a three-run bomb, her first of the year.
WPU added five more runs in the third inning, highlighted by Lindsey Wiggins' two-run double with the bases loaded after already plating three in the inning. The Pacers tacked on two more in the fourth, putting an early end to the Cougars' championship hopes.
Heather Dindinger picked up her third complete-game win of the tournament, giving up two runs on nine hits, a walk and two strikeouts.
Casey Taylor led WPU at the plate, going 3-for-3 with four RBIs and two runs score, while her sister Ragan Taylor added a hit, two RBIs and a run scored. Wiggins finished with a hit and two RBIs. Brandi Stamey and Shay Poteat also chipped in with one hit and a run scored.
The USA South Pitcher of the Year, Mary Beth Smith (18-3), was pinned with the loss, as she surrendered nine runs (five earned) on four hits and a pair of walks in 2.1 innings pitched. Taylor Dix, the conference Player of the Year, went 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
William Peace 10, Greensboro 6
Trailing 6-5 and fighting for their tournament lives, WPU hung five runs on Greensboro in their final at-bat and went on to win, 10-6.
The Pacers (22-14-1) jumped ahead 3-0 early on, as the Taylor sisters both drew bases loaded, RBI walks to score Caroline Womble and Farmer. Womble singled down the left field line and Farmer walked to reach base. Womble singled up the middle with two outs in the second and came home on Farmer's double to left field.
WPU giftwrapped four runs for Greensboro (22-22) though in the bottom half of the second, and the Pride went ahead, 6-3, scoring two more in their next at bat. The Pacers cut their deficit to only one in the top of the fourth though, as Wiggins singled to lead off and scored on Womble's double to the gap. Womble came home on another RBI knock from Farmer.
Morgan Bryant drew a base on balls to start things in the seventh, followed by an infield hit from Ragan Taylor and another walk drawn by Shay Poteat to load the bases. Michelle Sheldon-Gregorio walked and brought Bryant home to tie things up. Wiggins reached by way of a fielder's choice, which scored Ragan Taylor, and then Womble came through with a dagger, two RBI single up the middle.
Lauren Martin started in the circle, but it was Dindinger (8-5) earning her fourth win of the tournament, giving up just two runs on five hits in 5.1 innings of relief work.
At the plate, Womble led the way with a 4-for-5 outing to go along with three RBIs and three runs scored. Farmer went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Wiggins added a hit, an RBI and two runs scored, while Ragan Taylor contributed one hit, a run batted in and a run scored.
Lauren Miller (6-6) got the loss, allowing six runs on seven hits, three walks and five strikeouts in 5.2 innings pitched. Jackie Nicholson, Hayley Rumley and Sarah Tompkins all recorded two hits apiece for the Pride.
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