DAHLONEGA, Ga. -- Three Flagler pitchers combined to allow just one hit Friday night as the Saints blanked Augusta State 6-0 on the first day of the NCAA Southeast Regional at Hill Stadium.
Flagler's Lauren Bessent hit two doubles and starter Kelly Riddick worked the first 4.0 innings as the Saints improved to 41-16 and will play in the winner's bracket game Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
ASU fell to 34-19 and will play an elimination game tomorrow at 4 p.m., vs. the loser of North Georgia-Erskine. With the win, Flagler has claimed three-of-five games played this season against the Jaguars.
The Saints got on the board first when Alona Personius deposited a 3-1 pitch from ASU starter Emily Headrick into the trees over the left-center field fence to give Flagler a 2-0 lead. Bessent led off the game with a double of the left field wall, which just missed getting out of the park.
In the second inning, the Saints extended their lead to 3-0 when Robyn Draper scored from second on a base hit though the left side from Lauren Ely.
Flagler plated its fourth run in the bottom on the fourth. With runners on the corners and two outs, Ely took off from first base and got into a run down. When the throw went to second base, Draper took off from third and just beat the throw to the plate.
That would be all Riddick (19-4) would need to break her own school record for wins in a season. She induced eight fly outs and had a no-hitter for 3.1 innings. Donna Munafo and Kalyn Loverich mopped up the last three innings.
Bessent doubled to the left-center gap to knock in Draper for Flagler's fifth run and an ASU error accounted for the sixth run.
Headrick (16-7) went the distance and allowed six hits, four earned runs and walked seven batters. Kaitlin Harris had the lone hit in the game for ASU, a single to right in the fourth inning.
The Jags had opportunities to climb back into the game, but left a runner stranded at second base with one out twice and had a runner at third with one out in the fourth.
For a full game recap, press conference video and boxscores from the regional, visit the tournament central website at http://www.saintssports.com/tournament/2011softballregional/index.
