| Show T i p Y T 1 TX p Lady Bruins Fall Fall to to Dixie State Sate By Justin McBride Sports Editor Three wins That's all the Salt Lake Community College Women's Softball Team needed going into the Scenic West Athletic Conference tournament which started on May and ran through the With a team as talented as this Bruin softball team was many expected them to come out on top and represent the Scenic West Athletic Conference in the national tournament in Clermont Florida Going into the conference tournament the Lady Bruins were certainly the favorite They came in as the the- first place team in hi conference play and were riding a 13 game win streak The three-day three conference tournament tournament tournament tour tour- began on May with the top seed Lady Bruins taking on the fourth seed North Idaho Cardinals The game was a mismatch mismatch mismatch mis mis- match from the beginning ning sophomore pitcher Amy Russell pitched four spectacular spectacular spectacular spec spec- innings only giving up one run in the third inning On the offensive side of the game the Lady Bruins did their job despite the Cardinals pitching around biggest offensive threat Kate would pile it on late scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and beat the North Idaho Cardinals 7 1 in the tournament tournament tournament tour tour- opener The win over North Idaho ensured the rest of the day off to prepare for the winner of the Dixie State game which was played immediately after dispatched North Idaho Dixie State came out on top of the Wolverines 7 Despite having almost a full days rest the Lady Bruins came out flat against the Dixie State Rebels on Friday The six hits which had been good enough to score 7 runs the previous day against North Idaho weren't goodenough goodenough good goodenough enough to score any runs on the Lady Rebels Freshman pitcher Lindsay Nielson pitched all seven innings for giving up 12 hits and five runs as the Lady Bruins suffered their first loss of the tournament The loss to Dixie State forced into the losers bracket and into another game on Friday handed NIC their second loss of the tournament and sent NIC home from the double elimination elimination elimination elim elim- tournament The stage was set for and in a win home in the game losers losers losers los los- ers bracket Amy Russell took the mound again for and was her dominant self through the first three inn innings Kate got the scoring started with a solo home run into deep left field in inthe inthe inthe the bottom of the second inning would come back and take the lead though scoring one run in the fourth inning an and one in the top of the fifth inning With one out and a 2 1 score Lindsay Nielson replaced Amy Russell Nielson got the Lady Bruins out of the inning and the bats went to work The Lady Bruins scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to go up by two runs The sixth and seventh innings went scoreless and the Lady Bruins went on to win by a final score of 4 For the third time tune this year an team found itself up against its new nemesis the Dixie State Rebels The Lady Bruins had their backs against the wall and needed to win two straight games against Dixie State in order to win the tournament tournament tournament ment and advance to the National Tournament in Clermont Florida Both teams got on the board in inthe inthe inthe the first inning with one run one run each Kate stepped up in the bottom of the third and gave its first lead over Dixie State with a solo shot to put the Lady Bruins up 2 The Lady Rebels would come back in the top of th the fourth however scoring scoring scoring ing one run and evening the score at two runs apiece The score would remain tied until the seventh inning where things fell apart for the Lady Bruins Lindsay Nielson replaced Russell in the sixth inning and kept the Lady Rebels off the Scoreboard The Lady Bruins got in trouble in the seventh seventh seventh sev sev- though as the Lady Rebels figured Ni Nielson lson out again Dixie State scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning The Lady Bruins were unable to answer in inthe inthe inthe the bottom of the seventh leaving the Dixie State Rebels to cl claim im the Championship Despite finishing on a somewhat somewhat somewhat some some- what sour note the Lady Bruins had a spectacular season They finished the season with a 4 27 conference record and a 43 10 record over all They were the Conference Champions and the Tournament Runners The Lady Bruins had four players make the All- All Region 18 1st team three individuals make the 2nd team and Amy Hogue was recognized as the Coach of the Year for the performance she got out of her team this season With half of their roster returning returning returning return return- ing next season the Lady Bruins have their sights set on a bit of revenge a Championship and a shot at a national title C O |
