Feb. 20, 2010
Final Stats
MOBILE, Ala. – The Belmont Softball team traveled to Mobile, Ala. to take on Southern Conference foe Nicholls State in the first game of the USA Invitational Saturday morning. Despite scoring three runs in the final inning of the game, the team gave up six runs in the first three innings to the Colonels, which proved to be the difference.
The Bruins scored the first run of the game after senior Brooke Babington (Johnston City, Ill.) was able to advance from second base to score when the Colonel's catcher was unable to control a pitch from her pitcher, Audrey Wood.
The Colonel's would even the score in the bottom of the first inning when Wood's double drove in Natalie Travasos from second base.
The Colonel's opened the game up in the bottom of the third inning when they were able to score four runs off of four hits to put them ahead by five runs.
“I think that [our slow start could partially] be due to first game jitters,” said Coach Kuhlmeyer. “They started hitting the ball. We made a few mistakes and got back on our heels. They took advantage of it, which led to all of those runs. We'll learn from it and move on to the next game.”
The Bruins tried to crawl back into the game in the seventh inning when Dawn Thoni (Franklin, Tenn.) reached base on an error. Senior Brooke Babington (Johnston City, Ill.) then singled to left field leaving runners on first and second base. Ashley Smith (Helena, Ala.) then doubled to left center scoring Thoni and advancing Babington to third. Two batters later, Ashley Byers (Westerville, Ohio) singled to left center field driving in the runners on second and third.
Three runs were all that the Bruins could muster, however, and the game ended with the Bruins defeated 5-9. Asked about how the late push will effect his team's confidence leading into game two of the USA Invitational, Coach Kuhlmeyer said:
“I think it gives them a lot of confidence. We talked after the game, as a team we're going to have to be the team that fights and claws for every run. We got on our heels in the beginning, but we started to pick it back up. It goes to show that if we have the same intensity the whole game, and not just the end of the game, then we can win a lot of ball games.”
In the game the Bruins were out hit by the Colonels 11-9, and Belmont left seven batters stranded on base.
Sophomore Ashley Byers had a big day at the plate for the Bruins going 2-4 with three RBIs.
Belmont will be back in action later today as they face off against the tournament host, South Alabama, at 2 p.m. CDT in Mobile, Ala.
