UC Runner up at 2007 WVIAC Tournament

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CHARLESTON FINISHES WVIAC TOURNAMENT AS RUNNER-UP

VIENNA, WV — Andrea Lewis carried the University of Charleston to Saturday’s championship game of the West Virginia Conference softball tournament on her right arm, but it wasn’t enough to get past Shepherd.

Lewis allowed only two earned runs and struck out 12 in the title game, but third-seeded Shepherd escaped with a 2-0 victory over top-seeded UC. The Rams (31-17), who won five straight games to capture the conference tournament championship, receive an automatic berth into the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional, which begins Thursday. UC was the WVIAC regular season champion and No. 1 seed in the tournament.

Earlier Saturday, the top-seeded Golden Eagles (37-21) edged Fairmont State 5-4 in 11 innings and downed Alderson-Broaddus 4-1 to advance to the championship game.

Lewis, the former Sissonville High School standout, pitched three complete games, allowing five earned runs on 13 hits with 34 strikeouts and two walks in 25 innings. In an elimination game against Fairmont State to open Saturday’s play, she gave up four earned runs on four hits with 15 strikeouts in 11 innings.

“Lewis is just phenomenal,’’ said second-year UC coach Annette Olenchick, who was also Lewis’ high school coach. “She threw her heart out. She knew this was her last time on the field. She didn’t hold back. I don’t know if there’s a pitcher in the conference that has as much stamina as she had. That last game she threw I just shook my head.’’

Lewis struck out Shepherd in order in the top of the seventh to give the Golden Eagles one last chance, and they almost came through. UC loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh with one out, but UC’s Kathy Jo Getz sent a hard smash back up the middle that Rams pitcher Mia Zappacosta, the tournament MVP, gloved to start a 1-2-3 game-ending double play. If UC would have beaten Shepherd the two would have played another title game in the double-elimination format.

“We hit a hard shot back to the pitcher,’’ Olenchick said. “It goes either way it’s up the middle and we’re probably scoring two. We hit the ball hard, we just hit it right at them. Our girls made a great run.’’

Lewis scattered five hits and walked only one while also going 2-for-3 against Shepherd. Michelle Sabelhaus rapped out three hits for the Golden Eagles.

Shepherd plated both of its runs in the fourth as Amy Edmondson and Rebekah Walsh each singled in a run. UC committed a fielding error to aid the Rams in the frame. Zappacosta fired a five-hit shutout as the Rams won their first conference title since 1991.

Also Saturday, Lewis tossed a four-hitter and whiffed seven to lead UC past Alderson-Broaddus 4-1 and into the title game. Brittany Stogdale went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs for the Golden Eagles. For the Battlers, Mary Ann Thompson doubled in a run.

In Saturday’s opening game, Rachel Pike scored from second on an error as UC outlasted Fairmont State 5-4 in 11 innings. Lewis went 3-for-6 with a pair of doubles and an RBI. Shana O’Briant’s two-run double in the seventh sent the game into extra innings for the Falcons.

Story courtesy of the Sunday Gazette-Mail.

2007 WVIAC Softball Tournament

Vienna, W.Va.

Thursday, May 3

G1: #7 Fairmont State 3, #10 Bluefield State 2 (8 innings)

G2: #3 Shepherd 6, #14 Concord 0

G3: #11 Salem International 3, #6 West Liberty State 0

G4: #4 Alderson-Broaddus 2, #13 Davis & Elkins 1

G5: #5 West Virginia State 2, #12 Ohio Valley 0

G6: #9 Glenville State 3, #8 Wheeling Jesuit 0

G7: Fairmont State 4, West Virginia Wesleyan 3

G8: Shepherd 2, Salem International 1 (9 innings)

G9: Alderson-Broaddus 4, West Virginia State 0

G10: #1 Charleston 5, Glenville State 0

Friday, May 4

G11: Ohio Valley 3, Davis & Elkins 0

G12: West Liberty State 9, Concord 1 (6 innings)

G13: Wheeling Jesuit 6, Salem International 5

G14: West Virginia State 8, Bluefield State 1

G15: West Virginia Wesleyan 12, Ohio Valley 3

G16: Glenville State 5, West Liberty State 3

G17: Shepherd 3, Fairmont State 0

G18: Alderson-Broaddus 5, Charleston 3 (8 innings)

G19: Wheeling Jesuit 13, West Virginia Wesleyan 12 (11 innings)

G20: West Virginia State 9, Glenville State 1

G21: Charleston 2, Wheeling Jesuit 1

G22: Fairmont State 5, West Virginia State 1

G23: Shepherd 3, Alderson-Broaddus 0

Saturday, May 5

G24: Charleston 5, Fairmont State 4 (11 innings)

G25: Charleston 4, Alderson-Broaddus 1

G26: Shepherd 2, Charleston 0

2007 All-WVIAC Tournament

Shepherd
Mia Zappacosta
Courtni Williams
Amanda Orkoskey
Alicia Brandenberg

University of Charleston
Andrea Lewis
Michelle Sabelhaus
Brittany Stogdale

Alderson-Broaddus
Mary Ann Thompson
Kari Bockbrader
Kara Newton

Fairmont State 
Whitnie Highland
Shanna O’Briant

Glenville State
Mandy Parkulo

West Virginia State
Amanda Hively

West Virginia Wesleyan
Lara Foster

Wheeling Jesuit
Ashley McSweeney

Ohio Valley
Sarah Davidson