HATTIESBURG, Miss. (May 17, 2021) – The No. 3-seeded Truett McConnell University softball team defeated the No. 2-seeded Central Baptist College 4-3 in game one of the NAIA National Championship Opening Round on Monday evening in the Hattiesburg Bracket, which is hosted at William Carey University. The win put both teams with the same overall season record of 32-14. 

The No. 3-seeded Lady Bears will now face No. 4 University of Houston Victoria at 12:00 p.m., CST, on Tuesday, May 18.

PLAY-BY-PLAY
After freshman Ashleigh Lawson led off the game with a hit by pitch, Lawson put the Lady Bears up on the board first on Mattie Brooks' hard-hit ball to the pitcher, which forced a wild throw, after Lawson advanced to third on a wild pitch (1-0). TMU loaded up the bases but left all three stranded before Central Baptist tied it up in the bottom half (1-1). The second inning saw the Lady Bears stay hot after another leadoff hit by pitch from Katherine Kozlowski. Alicia Price followed up with a bunted base hit and A. Lawson tripled to deep right-center to drive home Kozlowski and Price (3-1). Sara Sullivan singled to shallow right to give the Lady Bears an early three-run lead (4-1), which ended up capping off TMU's scoring on the day. The Mustangs rallied in the bottom of the third to get within one (4-3), but Karley Hobbs and the Lady Bears' defense held Central Baptist scoreless forcing the Mustangs to leave a total of three left on the base the rest of the way.

LEADERS
Overall, the Lady Bears recorded a total of nine hits to Central Baptist's seven. A. Lawson led the way going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs, including a triple. Sullivan followed going 2-for-4 with a single RBI. Briley Lawson and Price went 1-for-3, while  Brooks, Mikayla Sullens and Justine Kennington added one hit apiece.

Three-time Appalachian Athletic Conference pitcher of the year, Hobbs, earned the win after pitching a complete game of seven hits, two earned runs, one walk and five strikeouts.