#1 Saints End Season At National Semi-Finals
SALEM, VA – The #1 team in the country
saw their season come to a close two wins shy of a National
Championship, falling 8-1 to #2 Lock Haven in the semi-finals of
the 2009 NCAA Division II Softball Championships Sunday afternoon
at the Moyer Sports Complex.
The Saints fall in back-to-back games for the first time this
year, putting a lid on the most successful season in school history
with a record of 50-5. North Georgia captured the Peach Belt
Conference Regular Season Championship, PBC Tournament
Championship, NCAA Southeast Dahlonega Regional Championship, and
the NCAA Southeast Super Regional Dahlonega Championship to advance
to their first-ever Division II College World Series.
North Georgia claimed the nation’s top ranking on May 6,
2009, and won a pair of games at the Division II College World
Series in dramatic comeback fashion, but could not get past Lock
Haven in the Semi-final round to extend their season. The Lady
Eagles improve 50-6 on the season and will advance to the National
Championship game Monday afternoon to take on Alabama-Huntsville
for the Division II Title.
Lock Haven picked up right where they left off against the Saints
earlier in the day, scoring four first-inning runs on five hits to
jump on top 4-0 in the opening frame. The Lady Eagles then added
two more runs in the second inning, using a pair of hits and a key
North Georgia error to plate two more runs.
The Saints had their lone bright spot in the fifth inning as
Hilary Cox connected and launched her sixth home run of the season
down the left field line to cut into the Lock Haven lead and make
it 6-1.
The Lady Eagles added single runs in the fifth and sixth innings
to extend their lead to 8-1, a margin that held true to the final
out.
Sarah Phillips (39-3) was denied a victory for the second straight
game, tossing just 1.0 inning and allowing four runs, all earned,
on five hits while striking out one. The First-Team All-American
will end the season second in the nation in wins, sitting at 59
wins after her sophomore year at North Georgia.
Senior Kaelin Farrington played in her final game for North
Georgia, as the lone graduate on the squad led the Saints to their
highest finish in school history.
