SCC Proves Dangerous With Bases Loaded

Opposing coaches should take note: Don’t load the bases with two outs against Southern California College. It will come back to haunt you.

Senior designated hitter Noelle Sturgill’s bases-loaded two-run double with two outs in the fifth inning sparked the Vanguards (48-11) to a 3-1 victory over Mobile (Ala.) in a winners’ bracket game at the NAIA Softball National Championships.

Tuesday, Alicia Groshon’s two-out, base-clearing double propelled them to an opening-game victory. Her walk with the bases loaded Wednesday forced in Heather Rogers to tie the score before Sturgill delivered the big hit.

The Vanguards, one of four undefeated teams left in the 16-team, double-elimination tournament, will face second-seeded Oklahoma City today. A victory will put them into the winners’ bracket final later today; a loss will mean a losers’ bracket game, also today.

“She walked in the run to tie it, so I didn’t feel under a whole lot of pressure,” said Sturgill, who drove in the winning run for the second time in as many games.

“I knew she wasn’t going to throw anything by me so I got a pitch I liked. Tomorrow’s going to be tough, but we’ll enjoy this one for now.”

Oklahoma City (67-10) won four consecutive titles starting in 1994.

Mobile (46-12) broke through in the top of the fifth on Tiffany Genola’s RBI single to left field. After SCC took the lead in the bottom half of the inning, Mobile loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth when Vanguard senior pitcher Gretchen Brandt walked Summer Powell.

Coach Beth Renkoski then called on Gina Liebengood to stifle the rally and the freshman did not disappoint, getting Sunny Ross to foul out to right fielder Christina Blankenship, who made a nice sliding catch against the fence.

“Gina’s done that job all year long,” said Renkoski of her pitcher, who got the complete-game victory Tuesday. “I was hoping Gretchen was going to get out of it, but Gina’s very accurate and I decided to see if they could hit her and they didn’t.”