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Box Score 2 TUCSON, Ariz. – Southeastern's amazing run through the NFCA Division II Leadoff Classic got its story book ending with a 3-2 win over West Texas A&M in the championship game on Sunday afternoon in Tucson, Ariz.
The win was on the heels of a 6-3 victory over Texas Woman's in the semifinals to reach the championship game.
Southeastern completes the event a perfect 6-0, doing so by running the guantlet of nationally ranked opponents.
While WTAMU and TWU were only receiving votes int he NFCA Division II poll, SE's first three wins came against the No. 8, No. 2 and No. 6 teams in that order.
Following the win in the title game, pitcher
Jacee Bennett was named the Most Valuable Pitcher of the weekend and
Jessica Simmons was tabbed the tournament's Most Valuable Player.
The title run lifts Southeastern's record to 14-3 and in the midst of an eight-game winning streak.
Courtney Moore turned in a 3-for-3 effort in the championship game with a pair of RBI, while
Lacie Cook finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Mindy McElroy got the start and tossed the first three innings before handing the ball to Bennett who threw 3.1 in relief and allowed a run on three hits with five strikeouts to earn her ninth win of the year. McElroy would return with the bases loaded in the seventh to record the final out and earn her third save.
The SE defense came up big in the first two innings of the title game with Williams throwing out a runner at home in the first and
Kaija Morris getting a force out at the plate with the bases loaded in the second.
The Storm got out of trouble in the first two innings without allowing a run, and got on the board first in the third inning when Cook singled home
Paige Priest on a bunt and
Courtney Moore followed by singling home Cook for the 2-0 lead.
The Buffs would get a run back in the fourth inning to cut the lead in half.
SE had an answer, however, with Cook leading off the fifth inning with a double and scoring two batters later on a Moore single to go up 3-1.
WTAMU would load the bases in the top of the seventh and score a run off a walk, but McElroy would coax the Buff's eight-hole hitter into flying out to Williams in left field.
In the semifinal on Sunday, SE got a pair of hits and an RBI each from Simmons and Williams along with an RBI from
Rachel Jones in the win.
While in the circle, Bennett moved her season record to 8-1 by tossing a complete game and allowing three runs on five hits with eight strikeouts.
Simmons put the Storm on the board in the first inning by taking home on the double-steal.
Jones would add to that lead in the second inning with a squeeze bunt that plated
Kelsey Overacker for a 2-0 lead.
A pair of wild pitches in the third inning from TWU's Brandie Lander would score Williams and Moore and put SE in front 4-0.
TWU would get a run back in the top of the fourth on a solo homer, but the Storm would answer with an RBI single from Simmons that plated
Paige Priest followed by a Williams single that scored Simmons to push the advantage to 6-1.
The Pioneers would get a run back in the fifth and another in the seventh to fashion the 6-3 final.
