CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Thomas University softball team won both games on Opening Day down in Clearwater, Florida, as the Night Hawks went a perfect 2-0 and are now set to play in the Winner's Bracket Final for a chance to compete on Championship Saturday down in the SUN Conference Tournament.
Game 1: Thomas 5, Ave Maria 1
The Night Hawks (29-19, 14-13 SUN) used a combination of small-ball and big hits in game one as TU bested the Gyrenes in the conference tournament opening game, 5-1.
Thomas took the early lead in third inning before scoring in five consecutive innings, en route to the win.
In the third, it was a Makana Pember at bat that allowed the senior to reach first on an error bringing in Michaela Farr to score, 1-0.
TU then tallied its second run of the tournament in the next inning with an Adreanna Killingsworth solo home run doubling Thomas' lead to 2-0.
A pair of Holly Campbell RBI in the fifth and the seventh was split by a sixth inning RBI from Dara Moore in Thomas' first win of the tournament, 5-1.
A solo run for the Gyrenes (25-24, 15-11 SUN) came across in the bottom of the seventh, but it was too-little too-late as it was a consolation prize for the fourth-seeded Gyrenes who will now appear in Friday's second elimination game against Coastal Georgia.
TU's Larran Carter gained the win in game one, pitching all seven innings and allowing just one earned run.
AMU's Second Team All-Conference selection Alissa Bolinger received the loss in the circle, pitching all seven and allowing five runs (four earned).
With the win, the Night Hawks then advanced to the Winner's Semifinals against the top-seeded Southeastern Fire.
Game 2: Thomas 6, Southeastern 5
After winning the first game of the tournament, the Night Hawks then reloaded to face the juggernaut of the SUN Conference regular season, Southeastern.
In a game for the ages, the two teams traded late-game blows before the Night Hawks were able to capture a lead in the top of the seventh, narrowly defeating the favored SUN Conference Regular Season Champions, 6-5.
In the Winner's Semis, both teams were knotted scoreless through two and a half before Southeastern erupted for a three-run bottom of the third.
The super-talented Southeastern Fire fielded eight All-Conference selections, including the SUN Conference Player of the Year and the SUN Conference Freshman of the Year, Jamie Mead and Riley Sanders.
Starting the scoring in the third was a Riley Sanders run, as the Fire struck early with a pair of hits and a wild pitch scoring the freshman Second Team member, 3-0.
The Night Hawks refused to let the deficit marinate, as the Night Hawks followed the bottom of the third with arguably their best inning of the year, pulling in five runs in the fourth and gaining the lead 5-3 aftter four innings played.
TU's scoring began with Taylor Lanphere reaching on an error, as the error advanced both Holly Campbell and Dara Moore in for a pair of runs, 5-2.
A Makana Pember triple then produced two more runs in the inning, as both Lanphere and Hunter Williams came in to score, 5-4. Thomas' Averie Sheppard would follow the triple with a single, advancing Pember in for another score claiming a two-run lead over halfway through the ballgame.
With the Night Hawks gaining the lead in the fourth, TU's game one starting pitcher Larran Carter entered the contest after pitching 118 pitches in Thomas' opening game.
The senior Second Team All-Conference member began her game two appearance with a quick three-up three-down inning before neither of the teams were able to score in the fifth, 5-3.
The top of the sixth then saw the Night Hawks leave one baserunner stranded on third, but it was a scary bottom of the sixth where the Fire gained momentum tying the contest back up at five apiece.
The tying hit was a two-run Riley Sanders single that scored Fire runners on second and third, once again proving the worth of SEU's Freshman of the Year, 5-5.
With just six outs before the possibility of extras, TU was again able to respond with a run of their own after an Averie Sheppard single put Thomas' go-ahead runner on first.
A stolen base and an Adreanna Killingsworth bunt then moved Sheppard to third before Dara Moore singled into right field to bring in the sophomore left fielder for the late, go-ahead, run, 6-5.
With TU's ace Larran Carter still in the ballgame, the Night Hawks again retired three-straight Fire batters, upsetting the top-seeded Regular Season Champ in the Winner's Bracket Semifinal.
Up next, TU will reload for the Winner's Final against Webber set for 2 p.m. on Friday afternoon.
Fans can watch the contest by tuning into the SUN Digital Network and can follow the Live Stats by accessing the link, HERE.
Tickets to attend are available for purchase, HERE, and the SUN Conference Championship page can be located, HERE.
For up-to-date information on Thomas University Softball and other TU Athletics, visit www.TUNightHawks.com. Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, and feature stories of your TU Softball team by following them via Twitter at @NightHawksSoftb.
