GULF SHORES, Ala. – The No. 12 Thomas University softball team ended its memorable season Tuesday afternoon with a pair of losses in the NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex.
 
On Tuesday in Alabama, Thomas was defeated, 6-3, by No. 9 Mobile (Ala.), then lost the elimination game, 1-0, in eight innings, to Brenau (Ga.) to end the season.
 
The Night Hawks, who finished the season 39-16, won both the Sun Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championships this season.
 
Pitcher Lauren West finished the season 26-7 with a 1.29 ERA in 203.0 innings pitched. She struck out 151 and allowed just a .202 opponent batting average.
 
Kelsey Connolly led the team with her .394 batting average and .655 slugging percentage and collected a team high 10 home runs and 13 doubles. Kait Stoltz led the team with five triples, 47 runs scored and was second with 29 stolen bases, behind 33 swipes by Victoria Camina.
 
Coach Bill Wilson was TSC Coach of the Year and Lauren West was the Pitcher of the Year. Five Night Hawks were named first team all-conference: Kelsey Connolly, A.J. Weiss, Lauren West, Gaby Mora and Kait Stoltz, while Victoria Camina and Izzy Ekstam were on the honorable mention list. Three Night Hawks – Kelsey Connolly, Corryne Diaz and Lauren West – were named to the Sun Conference All-Tournament Team, and Kelsey Connolly, Michael Cooper, Katie Lopes, Gaby Mora and A.J. Weiss were on the all-academic team.
 
 
Game One
Thomas took the 2-0 lead in the first inning, but Mobile scored five in the third and one in the fourth before TU could add one more in the sixth, falling 6-3.
 
Michael Cooper was 2-for-3 with a home run, Kait Stoltz had a pair of hits, including a triple, and Kelsey Connolly tagged two hits. 
 
Pitcher Lauren West struck out five and allowed four earned runs from eight hits in 6.0 innings.
 
With one out in the top of the first, Stoltz singled to center, then Gaby Mora connected on an infield hit. Mora stole second and advanced to third a wild throw by the Mobile catcher, which allowed Stoltz to score TU's first run. Connolly then hit a sac fly to right, plating Mora.
 
Mobile benefited from two TU errors in the third, scoring five runs from four hits, to take the 5-2 lead. Then in the fourth, Mobile scored another unearned run to extend the lead to 6-2, and left three runners on base.
 
Thomas tried to catch up in the sixth, after Cooper hit a leadoff home run, but the Night Hawks were unable to rally.
 
 
Game Two
After seven scoreless innings, Brenau hit an infield single, drew a walk, stole third, then scored on a single to left field to win the game, 1-0.
 
Lauren West was tagged with the loss after striking out six, but allowing six hits and one earned run in 7.2 innings.
 
Gaby Mora had a pair of hits for the Night Hawks and Kelsey Connolly had a hit and drew a walk.
 
Thomas left the bases loaded in the first inning, and a pair of runners were stranded in the sixth.