Brenau Softball Blows Out Bethany

GULF SHORES, Ala. - Brenau (Ga.) and Concordia (Calif.) were victorious in Pool A action at the NAIA Softball National Championship on Thursday. The event is being held at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex for the second-straight year.

Brenau prevailed over Bethany (Kan.) by a 7-1 count, while Concordia run-ruled Talladega (Ala.), 8-0, in five innings. The highlight came with Concordia pitcher Katie Cotta. She tossed the Eagles first perfect game in championship history. The junior from Stockton, Calif., retired 12 of the 15 batters by strikeout as she did the job with 53 pitches.

The perfect game is the first one in the national championship since Oregon Tech's Jackie Imhof accomplished the feat on May 20,2011 against Midland (Neb.).

The Eagles plated five runs in the fifth inning to blow the game wide open. Jenna Jorgenson, who finished 2-for-3, knocked in two with a single to left. Jorgenson was one of three Eagles with two hits in the contest. Katie Carson and Alyssa Erickson each scored a pair of runs.

In the Brenau victory, the Golden Tigers evened up their Championship record to 2-2 all-time. Jenny Shepherd improved to 15-5 on the year with a four-hit, complete-game win in the circle. She struck out five Swedes and walked two.

After a Sally Duggan solo homer in the second frame, Brenau put the game away with four in the third. Ellen Black blasted a three-run home run to center field, which sent Bethany to a loss in its first tournament appearance.

Shepherd was one of the team's leading hitters, going2-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored. Duggan finished with two hits as well.

In Pool A on Friday, Concordia takes on Bethany at 10:30a.m. CDT, while Brenau and Talladega clash at 3:30 p.m.

Chad Waller

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics

Director of Communications and Sports Information

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