DAHLONEGA, Ga. -- Two Augusta State errors led to four runs Saturday night as No. 24 Flagler defeated the Jaguars, 6-2, in eight innings in an elimination game at the NCAA Southeast Regional at Hill Stadium.
With the victory, Flagler improved to 42-17 and will face No. 2 North Georgia in the championship game Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. With a victory by the Saints, a second game will take place at 4:00 p.m.
The loss brought ASU's 2011 season to a close at 35-20 overall. The Jags, who blanked Erskine, 9-0, earlier in the day, were making their fourth NCAA Regional appearance in the last five seasons.
After a one-out walk, Flagler's Tori Jolley slapped a one-out double off the base of the left field fence to put runners at second and third, Brittany Simmons hit a grounder to second base. The throw from ASU's Kacey Sims to the plate beat pinch runner Stacy Piagno, but the ball deflected away from Jags' catcher Renae Kimbell during the collision at the plate and allowed Piagno to score.
The ball trickled into the ASU dugout, and Jolley was awarded home plate and Simmons was sent to second. Katelyn Guinsler then followed with a single to center, but ASU's Destiny Echols over ran the ball and Guinsler rounded the bases to give the Saints a 6-2 lead.
Kelly Riddick (20-4) tossed two innings of relief to pick up the win. She faced nine batters and did not give up a hit. Kalyn Loverich started and pitched 4.0 innings, yielded two hits and fanned two. She retired nine-of-the-first-11 batters she faced.
ASU grabbed a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when Jessica Thornton reached on a leadoff single, stole second and scored on an error by Guinsler, the FC catcher.
Breezy Collings belted a two-run home run in the fifth inning to give Flagler a lead. Jolley went 2-for-4 with a double and scored a run. Alona Personius was walked three times.
The Jags tied the game at 2-all in the bottom of the sixth with three consecutive singles by Kristen Jones, Kacee Camp and Kaitlin Harris. ASU finished the contest with five hits -- all singles.
ASU's Heather Hughes (14-9) went the distance and gave up five hits and three earned runs. She also walked six and struck out just one.
The contest marked the final appearance in a Jaguar uniform for three seniors: centerfielder Destiny Echols, first baseman Alyssa Pingree and second baseman Kacey Sims.
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.
