FRESHMAN KIRBY BAXTER
PITCHES MOBILE TO WIN
DECATUR, Ala. – Although only a
freshman, University of Mobile (Ala.) (53-6-1) pitcher Kirby
Baxter (25-1) played a bit of role reversal as she came in for
senior Missy Passley to help lead her Rams to a 5-2 win over the
University of Mary (N.D.) in the final day of action at the 23rd
Annual NAIA Softball National Championships held at the Wilson
Morgan Softball Complex in Decatur, Alabama.
Giving up six hits, two runs while striking
out only one (an unusual occurrence for the 2003 NAIA Pitcher of
the Year who averaged just over ten strikeouts a game) in two
innings of work, the Marauders had Missy Passley’s number as
they jumped out to an early 2-0 lead.
Picking up a Nichole Seaver run in the
bottom of the first inning and a Hope Johnson run in the bottom
of the second, the Marauders picked up where they left off last
night. Having scored 16 runs against 12th-seeded
Oklahoma Christian University, Mary looked well on their way to
a date with No. 8-seeded Olivet Nazarene. However, with the
pitching substitution of Mobile freshman Kirby Baxter for Missy
Passley to start the bottom of the third inning, those pipe
dreams started to fade.
Fanning seven batters, while giving up
only one hit and one walk in ten innings of work, Baxter held
Mary so the Rams could take advantage.
With Christie Jackson (2-for-4 with one
run scored) on second and Denisse Fuenmayor on third, Teal
Boothe ripped a clutch two RBI double into the left-center gap
to tie the game up.
The Rams ended an eight-inning stalemate
in the top of the twelfth. Winter Guthrie hit an RBI single to
drive in Molly Walker who was pinch running for Teal Boothe. Two
more runs scored by Liberty Ellison and Sylvia Bedgood and
top-seeded Mobile moved into the loser’s bracket championship
against Olivet Nazarene.
The
Cinderella story of the tournament, University of Mary, ends a
stellar season with a 38-14 record and the respect of the NAIA
softball elite as they eliminated teams such as #7 Union
University (Tenn.), #10 Oklahoma City University, and #6
Columbia College.
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