Co-Lin vs. Kanakee

 
Co-Lin centerfielder Kaylin Burke (11) is safe at first as Kankakee pitcher Jessie Alesi misfires to first baseman Amber Knibling.

           NORMAL, Ill. – The Copiah-Lincoln Community College Lady Wolves turned a dramatic double play in the bottom of the seventh inning to preserve a 2-1 victory over the Kankakee Community College Lady Cavaliers in the second round of the National Junior/Community College (NJCAA) National Softball Tournament at Champion Fields.

The Lady Wolves (38-7) face the Parkland Community College Lady Cobras at 10 a.m. Friday in the winners bracket. The No. 3 ranked Lady Cobras were runners-up in the National Tournament in 2005.

The No. 4 ranked Lady Cavaliers (42-8) started off the bottom of the seventh inning with back-to-back singles by pitcher Jessie Alesi and first baseman Amber Nibling. Co-Lin pitcher Emily Horne got second baseman Lindsey Longfellow to ground out to third baseman Megan Bateman. Kankakee third baseman Jenny Swanson doubled to left field to score Alesi. Co-Lin Coach Allen Kent made a trip to the mound to talk to his team. Horne convinced Kent to let her pitch to Lady Cavalier catcher Heather Tarter, who hit a grand slam home run in an earlier game. That strategy paid off as Tarter hit a grounder to short stop Kady King who trapped the runner between third and home and was tagged out by catcher Lauren Smith. Smith then fired the ball back to Bateman at third, who turned and threw to second baseman Jackie Stowe who tagged out Swanson for the game-ending double play.

“Emily threw a solid game,” said Coach Kent. “We put her in a few jams on some misplays, but she got out of trouble. She kept us in the game and gave us a chance to win. Alesi is the best pitcher we have faced all year, we feel fortunate to have come out on top in this one. Winning the first game was big for us.”

The Lady Wolves took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when All-Region second baseman Jackie Stowe drew a 1-out walk and advanced to second on an error by Kankakee the pitcher on Horne’s grounder. All-Region freshman Erin Douglass hit a seeing-eye single through the hole between short and third to score Stowe.

Neither team would score again until the fifth inning. Centerfielder Kaylin Burke drilled a 1-out double down the left field line. Annie Selman’s bunt attempt was mishandled by the pitcher allowing Burke to score giving the Lady Wolves a 2-0 lead.

Horne (20-3), a two-time All-Region 23 selection and Arkansas Tech signee, kept the Lady Cavaliers in check until the bottom of the seventh inning. Horne scattered 5 hits, struck out 8 and walked 5. Absorbing the loss was Jessie Alesi. Alesi had 5 strikeouts and walked 4.

Burke led the Lady Wolves at the plate with 2 of 3 Co-Lin hits. She also reached base on an error.

                                         R   H  E
Co-Lin          100  0 100       2   3   2
Kankakee     000 0001         1   5   3

Winning pitcher: Emily Horne (20-3) and Bateman
Losing pitcher: Jessie Alesi and Tarver

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