Campus News

SOFTBALL: ETBU's season snuffed out by Linfield's miracle rally

MARSHALL, Texas (5/9/09) -- ETBU's season came to a shocking end late Saturday afternoon, with the Lady Tigers missing a shot to play for a berth in the national championship tournament by one half-inning.

The Lady Tigers (39-9) were three outs away from a tournament rematch against ASC rival Texas-Tyler when top-seeded Linfield got off the deck, scoring two runs in a span of four hitters in the bottom of the seventh to steal a 2-1 win over ETBU. The loss ends ETBU's first-round tournament run one game short of the title game, which will now feature UT Tyler and Linfield at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

ETBU took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on Meghan Fisher's leadoff home run over the wall in left, and freshman Erin Garcia cruised through the first six innings with relative ease against the Wildcats (39-5), the top-ranked team in the nation entering the postseason.

Garcia allowed just one hit through the first six frames before Rochelle Friend led off the seventh with a single. Jaydee Baxter popped up a bunt attempt for the first out before Staci Doucette drilled a 1-0 pitch on the chalk in left field for an RBI triple to tie the game.

Garcia jumped out to an 0-2 count on Emilee Lepp, but Lepp laced a double off the wall in left to plate Doucette with the winning run.

ETBU's season ends with the Lady Tigers winning their first ASC East Division championship and advancing to their first NCAA Tournament since the 2004 season. Ironically, the Lady Tigers' run at the 2004 NCAA West Regional ended at the hands of Linfield as well.

The Wildcats will play ETBU's ASC rival, UT Tyler, at 1 p.m. Sunday at Taylor Field with the winner advancing to next week's NCAA championship tournament in Montclair, NJ. Linfield must defeat UT Tyler twice Sunday to advance, while the Patriots only need one win to win the championship.