KINGSPORT, Tenn. — The St. Andrews University softball team fell 4-3 in their AAC consolation first-round tournament game to No. 5 Point University (Ga.) on Thursday in Kingsport, Tenn. at the Brickyard ball fields.
The Lady Knights fall to 17-31 while Point (31-21) will now advance in the consolation bracket and play the winner of Truett and Bryan on Friday.
AAC Consolation Round: Point 4, SAU 3
Senior pitcher Kori Ballard (7-11) started the game for the Lady Knights in the circle lasting two innings allowing three earned runs off five hits and one strikeout. Freshman reliever S.K. Brown relieved Ballard in the third inning. Brown tossed four innings allowing one run off three hits with a walk and three strikeouts to keep her team in the game.
Point took a 3-0 lead after two innings before extending its lead to 4-0 heading into the sixth inning — when St. Andrews started its rally, sending eight batters to the plate. The Lady Knights had three straight hits from freshman Ashlyn Dial, shortstop Brennan Broadaway, and Ballard to knock Point’s starter out of the game.
An RBI single from Ballard, a RBI groundout, and a Point error trimmed the Lady Skyhawks’ lead to one, but St. Andrews left runners on base to end the inning. Junior infielder Sam Lowder advanced to third base in the seventh inning, but couldn’t cross the palte for the tying run as the Lady Knights fell 4-3.
The Lady Knights had six different players record at least one hit with three recording multi-hit games.
Ballard ends the year on a five-game hitting streak while leading the team with five home runs and a .378 batting average. The senior also led the team in slugging percentage at .57). Lowder finished the season as the team’s leading hitter with 55 hits and a .377 batting average which earned her second team All-Conference. Broadaway made the all-freshman team with her stellar rookie campaign leading the Lady Knights with 36 RBIs and a .362 batting average.
Senior catcher Brooke Sikes was named to the Champions of Character team for her commitment to join Teach for America after graduation. She spend next year teaching in Memphis, Tenn. Making the all-conference academic team was senior Hayley Volpert and sophomores Symphony Arguedas and Nikki Santiago.