PANTHERS CLAIM GSAC TITLE, FIRST-EVER NCAA BERTH
April 23, 2007

MARYVILLE, Tenn. – The LaGrange College Softball Team claimed the school's second ever NCAA berth as it defeated Maryville College, 3-0 to win the GSAC Championship Tournament on Monday.

It is the first NCAA bid for the softball program. The top-seeded Lady Scots (20-9) had forced the deciding game with a 3-2 win earlier in the day. The Panthers (26-18) now await where and who they will be playing next. The NCAA will announce the regional pairings on May 6.

Sophomore Amanda Daniel (15-8) was named the tournament's MVP. She pitched her third complete-game win of the tournament. Daniel allowed only one run in 21 innings, striking out 15 and walking only one. In the deciding game, she struck out five to tie the single-season strikeout record. It was her 15th complete game of the season and her 10th career shutout.

The Panthers handed Maryville's Angie Castle, the GSAC Pitcher of the Year, her first loss of the season. Castle (14-1) gave up eight hits, three runs and walked a batter. The Panthers hit the first two home runs of the season allowed by Castle.

LaGrange Senior Kim Woodard, the GSAC Player of the Year, was 10-for-15 in the tournament. She scored three runs and had two RBIs. Sophomore Chloe Turnipseed (pictured) batted .462, while senior Kellee Scandrett .455 in the tournament.

In the bottom of the second inning, Scandrett blasted a shot to centerfield off Castle to put the Panthers up 1-0. It was the second home run of the season for Scandrett.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Lady Scots loaded the bases with no outs after three straight bunt singles. Third baseman Kristi Underwood (pictured below) made an amazing diving catch off a bunt attempt and almost doubled up the runner at third for a double play.  Daniel struck out the next batter for the second out to keep the bases loaded. She fell behind 3-0 to the next batter, but coaxed a groundout to end the Lady Scots' biggest scoring threat of the game.

In the fifth inning, the Panthers used the long ball for some insurance runs. Underwood doubled to left center with two outs. Jennifer Knight followed with her seventh home run of the season and second of the tournament. Knight's home run broke Jessica DeMooney's mark of six home runs in a season set in 2003.

In the seventh inning, Maryville put runners on the corners with one out. Daniel got the second out on a liner back to herself and ended the game with a strikeout. It was the Panthers' first GSAC tournament championship since 2001.

Castle outdueled the Panthers' combo of Megan Henry (9-8) and Katie Hearn in the first game of the day. Henry allowed three runs, none earned, in 3-2/3 innings. Hearn pitched 3-1/3 scoreless innings, allowing only two hits.

The Lady Scots got all of their runs in the fourth inning. The Panthers committed two errors in the inning, as all the runs were unearned.

The Panthers rallied in the seventh inning. Scandrett reached on an error to start the inning. Turnipseed singled as Scandrett stopped at second. One out later, Valeree Williams singled to drive in Turnipseed with the Panthers' first run. Woodard followed with another hit, scoring Scandrett to make it 3-2. But Castle got the final two outs to preserve the win and force the deciding game.