Centre stays alive with 6-3 win over Austin

In an elimination game in the 2008 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Softball Tournament (SCAC), Centre College kept their season alive by defeating Austin College 6-3 Friday, April 26 at Millennium Park in Danville, Ky.

The two teams wasted little time getting on the scoreboard plating a run each in the first inning. Centre second baseman Lindsey Willett led off the game with a walk, stole second and move to third on a Charlotte Jones single. The senior then stole home for the first run of the game.

In the home half of the first Austin's Laci Hart led off with a solo home run to left-center to tie the game at one apiece.

The Colonels answered with another run in the second inning as Willett came through with a two-out run-scoring single to put Centre back in front 2-1. Two innings later, Maggie Blackburn also came through with a two-out run-scoring single, this time scoring Willett to give the Colonels a 3-1 lead.

In the Austin fourth, Bobbi Schulle led off with a single and then advanced to second on a passed ball. Sam Smith then doubled to right field to score Schulle. Stefanie Faith then singled home Smith and the score was tied at three apiece.

The score remained that way until the sixth when Centre added two more runs with only one hit to go back in front 5-3. The Colonels added another insurance run in the seventh and Jones retired the Kangaroos in order in the bottom of the seventh for the win.

Jones allowed three runs on five hits in a complete-game effort to up her record to 10-10. Ashley Johnson suffered the loss for Austin allowing four runs - three earned over five innings. She is now 9-12 on the year.

Willett and Jones led Centre at the plate recording three hits each. Willett also scored three runs and drove in another. Five different players had one hit each for Austin.

Centre (22-19) will now play Millsaps College at 6 p.m. in another elimination game in Danville, Ky.