SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Rachel Alkire's opposite field single to right scored Jamie Norman from third base to break an 11th-inning 2-2 deadlock and lift the NAIA's No. 21-ranked Azusa Pacific to a 4-2 victory over No. 18 Concordia in an elimination game of the NAIA Region II Softball Playoffs in San Diego today.
It was only fitting that Alkire got the game-winning hit. Four innings earlier, she was within 1 strike of pitching her first-ever playoff shutout, working around 5 walks and 5 Concordia hits to put Azusa Pacific in position for a 2-0 win. However in the bottom of the seventh, Concordia's Tricia Thoms lined a 2-out bullet to the left-centerfield wall to score Nicole Lev and Kori Przygocki and tie the game in rather dramatic fashion at 2-2. Alkire averted the loss when she induced Sarah Kammert to hit into a hard ground out that ended the inning, but Alkire was done pitching for the game and moved to shortstop.
Freshman Nicole Hendrix came on to work 4 innings of 3-hit relief, getting out of critical runners-at-first-and-third, 1-out situation in the bottom of the tenth to preserve Alkire's opportunity for the game-winning heroics in the Cougars' next at-bat.
Azusa Pacific collected a season-high 17 hits in the game and was surprisingly led by seldom-used reserves Melanie Carlyon, Michelle Coleman and Holly Downard. The trio entered the game a combined 11-for-63 (.174) on the season but nonetheless went 6-for-15 (.400), accounting for 3 of the Cougars' 4 runs. All 3 players were pressed into duty because of injuries and untimely absences to other Cougar regulars, but they were hardly intimidated by their first-ever playoff appearance, particularly Coleman, who equaled her entire season hit total by going 3-for-5, which included a fifth inning double that she eventually turned into the Cougars' first run on the Downard single up the middle.
Alkire finished the game 3-for-6 with an RBI and a run scored. Sophomore Trisha Rico was also 3-for-6 with an RBI as well when she capped the game's scoring with a single that plated Alkire in the 11th.
Hendrix picked up the win to move her record to 13-6. Amy Guido suffered the loss after going 1.1 innings in relief.
The loss ends Concordia's season at 38-23.
Azusa Pacific was forced into the elimination game with Concordia after the NAIA's No. 4-ranked Point Loma Nazarene used a pair of 2-run fourth-inning home runs to defeat the Cougars, 5-0, in today's opening game of the regional playoffs.
Point Loma pitcher Leslie Ludlow was all the Crusader really needed. She crushed a 1-out bomb to right-center field, her fifth home run of the season, to put Point Loma up 3-0 at the time, and then handcuffed Azusa Pacific on just 1 hit, an Alkire opposite field flare down the right field line. Combined with a walk to Lorna Lyttle, Alkire's single put Ludlow in her only jam of the game, runners and first and second with no outs in the second inning. However, Ludlow responded in dominating fashion by striking out Kelli Thiederman before getting Rico to fly out and Alanna Jeffrey to ground out.
With the victory Ludlow improved to 22-5. Hendrix, who pitched a complete game, suffered the loss after surrendering 7 hits.
The loss snapped Azusa Pacific's 9-game winning streak. However, the Cougars will get an opportunity at revenge when they meet Point Loma again on Wednesday at noon in another elimination game. After beating Azusa Pacific, Point Loma then fell to Biola, 4-3, in a winner's bracket game. Biola, which is ranked No. 9 in the NAIA, advances to the regional championship game for the second straight year and awaits the winner of the Azusa Pacific/Point Loma game, who they will meet at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
The Cougars head into Wednesday's play with a 34-18 record. Point Loma is 48-7 and Biola is 45-15.
