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GULF SHORES, Ala. – Davenport struck first on the final day of action at the 2011 NAIA Softball Championships, but the Falcons of Notre Dame got the go ahead runs in the sixth as they hung on for the 4-2 win. Davenport ends their season with an overall record of 38-18 after claiming the WHAC Championship and WHAC tournament title.
After struggling to get base-runners for the first two games of pool play, Davenport got off to a great start on Saturday with Amber Getty (Wayland, Mich.) drawing a leadoff walk. After advancing on a sacrifice bunt, Getty came home on an RBI single from Brianna Carpenter (Irvine, Calif.). It marked just the second run of the tournament for DU after getting shutout on Friday.
The lead would stay at 1-0 until the top of the fourth when a few defensive blunders allowed Notre Dame to bring across two runs and take the 2-1 lead.
Looking to post their first ever victory in the NAIA national tournament, DU needed a rally and they got that from senior Heather Brusokas (Glendale, Calif.) who singled home Maegan Jenkins (Schoolcraft, Mich.) in the fifth. Jenkins was pitch-running for Morgan Greenfield (Wyoming, Mich.) who led off the bottom of the inning with a stand up double to right center.
More mental errors doomed the Lady Panthers on the base-paths as they ran themselves out of the inning leaving one runner on third base.
The Falcons got the run right back in the top of the sixth after they chased DU starter Sam Cole (Belleville, Mich.). NDC would add one more to post two in the inning as they upped their lead to 4-2.
Davenport did not post any more of a threat as they fell in their final game of the tournament. DU ends their season with an overall mark of 38-18 and it marks the end of the careers for DU seniors Heather Brusokas, Cirina Jones (Middleton, Mich.), Brianna Carpenter and Kelsey Egyhazi (Mishawaka, Ind.).
