MARSHALL, Texas – Hoisting the American Southwest Conference Softball Tournament Championship trophy for the 12
th time in program history, no. 2 East Texas Baptist University run-ruled Concordia University Texas, 8-0, sweeping the championship tournament. ETBU is now 38-2 on the year and has the automatic bid into the 2024 NCAA Division III National Tournament. It is the first back-to-back championships for ETBU since 2019, 2021 (no championship in 2020).
Tristen Maddox was named the ASC Tournament Most Outstanding Player as
Tauryn Cummings,
Mallory Pyle,
Delanie Loya, and
Avery Holland all made the team.
Behind the stellar pitching of freshman
Avery Holland, ETBU reeled off four runs in the first two innings with another four in the fourth for the victory. Holland moved to 10-0 on the year with another shutout allowing just five hits and retiring the side in the first and fifth innings.
ETBU had nine hits but three were extra base hits as Pyle hit a home run, Cummings had a triple and Loya added a double. Loya was 3-for-3 on the day with two RBI as Cummings and
Haylie Stum added two hits.
Tristen Maddox, Stum, and
Emma Bell had one RBI as Cummings added two RBI.
With two outs in the bottom of the first inning, ETBU had four straight singles that brought in two runs. Cummings started with a single to deep second base. Stum then followed with a single to centerfield. Bell came through with a single bringing in the first run as Cummings scored. Loya then had a hit to left field as Stum came in making it 2-0.
In the second inning, Pyle started the inning with a solo home run.
Mary Frances Ellis walked and then stole two bases for Maddox to bring her in on a sac fly for a 4-0 lead. After no runs in the third, ETBU scored four in the fourth. Cummings tripled in two runs in
Courtney White and Maddox and then Stum made it 7-0 with a single up the middle as Cummings came in. Loya finished off the scoring with a double to right center field as
Hannah A. Kelley was the eighth run.
Holland then retired the side in the top of the fifth inning to win the championship.
ETBU will now wait until Monday to see if they will host a regional. As the no. 2 team in Region X, ETBU has a strong chance to host another NCAA Tournament regional.
