Lady Tigers fall in extra innings in championship

Special to the Daily Mail The Nevada Lady Tigers with the second place plaque earned in Saturday's tournament. [Click to enlarge]

Nevada cruised through pool play in the El Dorado Springs softball tournament Saturday.

The Lady Tigers opened with a 10-2 victory over host El Dorado Springs in the first game. Seven of the nine Lady Tiger starters scored with Mary Ann Kennon leading the way with three runs scored. The Tiger offense generated nine hits as Kate Brier ripped three hits and Kennon and Dani Stanhope each singled and doubled. Rachel Kennedy got the win in the circle as she racked up nine strikeouts in the game. The only hit she allowed was a Brooke McKinney home run that followed KaLee Bradley's reaching on one of just two Tiger errors in the game.

The Tiger offense kept rolling in the second pool game as Nevada outscored Stockton 19-3. All nine Lady Tiger starters scored. Kara Kitsmiller crossed home four times and Jessica Davis and Kennon scored three times each. Nevada pounded seven hits as Sabrina Jones led the way with a triple and two singles.

Brier collected the win as she limited Stockton to four hits while striking out eight. The Nevada defense was on target as well as they committed only one error in the game. In the Championship Game Nevada kept clawing their way back into the game. The Lady Tigers forced the game into an extra inning as Nevada scored in the top of the seventh to knot the game at 3-3. After falling behind 1-0, Nevada tied it up in the fourth at 1-1. With two outs Kennedy doubled into left center and went to third on a passed ball. She scored as Shawna Alkire reached on a Lamar error. Nevada took the lead in the top of the fifth at 2-1. Brier singled and went to third on a Lamar error. Jones followed with a double to drive in Brier. With Lamar leading 3-2 going into the seventh Nevada rallied again. Kennon doubled to lead off the inning. Brier chased her home with a single. Nevada then buckled down in the bottom of the seventh to hold Lamar scoreless and force the extra inning.

The game went into extra innings with the international tiebreaker in effect. As the tiebreaker rules directed, the Tigers placed Kitsmiller on second to start their offensive part of the inning. Stanhope reached on an error to put runners at first and second. Megan Ray walked to load the bases. Kennedy's hard grounder was mishandled as Kitsmiller scored. With the bases still loaded Alkire walked to force in another run as the Tigers took a 5-3 lead.

In Lamar's half of the inning back-to-back errors allowed them to tie the game and left runners at second and third. The winning run scored on a short sacrifice fly to right as Lamar prevailed 6-5. Kennedy took the loss for Nevada despite only allowing two hits. She struck-out eight and walked eight in the game. In the Championship Game Nevada had six hits to Lamar's two. The Lady Tigers also had several hard-hit balls that did not fall in for hits. Lamar's defense proved to be the difference as they committed four errors to Nevada's 10.

Although Nevada fell in the championship game, Head Coach Brandi Thomsen saw much she liked from the Tigers during the day.

It was one of Nevada's best tournament offensive performances in the program's history. Nevada scored 34 runs in their three games for an average of 11.33 runs scored per game. The Tigers racked up 21 hits on the day and were aggressive on the base paths as well. Nevada (5-6) faces Webb City at home Thursday.