DAHLONEGA, Ga. -
Augusta State jumped out to a 4-0 lead before eliminating Queens,
7-1 Saturday night in game five of the NCAA Southeast Dahlonega
Regional.
The Lady Jaguars improve to 34-20 on the season and advance to the
Regional Championship on Sunday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. against the
top-ranked and #1 seed North Georgia. The Royals ended their season
27-26 on the year.
After two scoreless innings, Augusta State rallied in the third
inning, using four hits to plate four runs for a 4-0 lead. Angii
Verbeelen and Alysha Krier both singled up the middle to put two
runners on base, Kacee Camp followed with a double to left center,
scoring Verbeelen. Kristen Jones then came up and smashed a
three-run homer for a 4-0 advantage.
The Lady Jags added another run in the top of the fourth after
Leann Barber knocked a homer off the leftfield foul pole for a 5-0
lead over the Royals.
ASU attacked again in the fifth inning, using one hit and taking
advantage of a Royal error to plate two more runs for a 7-0 lead.
Camp and Thornton both scored on the error.
Queens plated their only run of the game in the seventh inning,
using a hit to score the run. Megan Campbell notched a triple, and
Alisha Waldrop delivered a clutch sac fly to bring Campbell home
and cut the Augusta State lead to six at 7-1.
Alisha Waldrop went 1-for-2 for Queens with the Royal's only
RBI, while Campbell tallied a pair of hits in the losing
effort.
For ASU, Kristen Jones went 2-for-3 on the night with three RBI,
while Barber and Camp each had a hit and a run batted in.
Emily Corish (8-3) earned the win, allowing only three hits with a
strikeout in 6.0 innings of work.
Brittany Stephens (10-8) was tagged with the loss and lasted 2.1
innings. Stephens gave up four runs on five hits and struck out
one.