DECATUR, ALA.. – Junior pitcher Mandy Dorow fired a 6-hit shutout to lead Azusa Pacific to a 4-0 victory over Athens (Ala.) State University Wednesday afternoon in the opening game of the NAIA Softball Championship Tournament being played at the Wilson Morgan Softball Complex in Decatur, Ala.
Despite the fact that she was making her first-ever appearance on a national championship level, Dorow was relaxed and in control from the outset of the game. The Cougars made it much easier too by scoring the game's first run before they had ever made an out. Junior shortstop Cristal Brown walked to lead off Azusa Pacific's half of the first inning. After stealing second, Brown came home on a single by sophomore catcher Jaime Salazar.
That was enough for Dorow, who retired 12 of the first 15 batters, striking out 3 in the process. She allowed just 1 batter to reach third base but got out of that third-inning jam by inducing a ground out to short.
The Cougars gave Dorow some breathing room by scoring 3 unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth. Salazar opened the inning by reaching base via a fielding error by Athens State first baseman Lindsey Zirbel. After a Jennifer Robison bunt single, Lorna Lyttle sacrificed Salazar and Robison to third and second, respectively. Laura Powers' single to left field plated Salazar to make it 2-0, Azusa Pacific. Cassie Lakey, running for Powers, then stole second base. Robison and Lakey eventually came home when Bear shortstop Jana Ingram booted Alisa Arrigoni's 2-out grounder, thus giving Azusa Pacific it's final 4-0 cushion.
Azusa Pacific managed just 6 hits off Ventura native Anissa Velasquez. Salazar was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Powers was also 1-for-3 with an RBI. Dorow improved to 23-6 on the season and posted her 13th shutout of the campaign. As a team, Azusa Pacific has shut out 30 of its 61 foes this season.
The Cougars, who are the No. 3 seed in this 16-team championship field, improve to 48-13 on the season and will face No. 6-seed Eastern Oregon (36-7) on Thursday (May 18) at noon (PDT). Eastern Oregon was a 3-0 victor over Mobile in another first-round game today. Meanwhile, Athens State, which is the host team of the NAIA Championship Tournament, falls to 25-17, and will meet Mobile in an elimination game on Thursday.
Athen State (25-17) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- 0 6 2
Azusa Pacific (48-13) 1 0 0 0 0 3 x -- 4 6 0
Anissa Velasquez (L, 13-7) and Kristy Goolsby
Mandy Dorow (W, 23-6) and Jaime Salazar
SB – Cristal Brown, (APU), Cassie Lakey (APU),
Jennie Waleszonia (APU), Alisa Arrigoni (APU)
