Box Score

ST. JOSEPH, MO – The storybook season of the North Georgia softball team came to a close on Saturday evening as Metro State used the a pair of home runs to eliminate the Saints from the 2010 NCAA Division II World Series at Heritage Park.

The Saints end the season in heartbreaking fashion for the second straight year at the College World Series, finishing the year with the best winning percentage in the country at 51-2.

Metro State improves to 53-5 on the year, now winners in 29 of their last 31 games. The Roadrunners advance to Sunday’s semi-final round of the championship where 3rd-ranked Hawaii Pacific is looming in the winner’s bracket. The Roadrunners will be forced to beat the Sea Warriors twice to earn a spot in Monday’s National Championship game.

Both teams struck early with clutch two-out hits as Leslee Smith led the way with a single down the left field line in the first inning, sending Courtney McGuire racing home from second to give the Saints a 1-0 lead.

Metro State would answer in their first at-bat as Amber Roundtree singled to lead off the inning, and Jennessa Tesone guided a two-out base knock up the middle to send Roundtree home and deadlock the score at a run apiece.

The long ball came into play in the fourth inning as Metro State’s Tara Mickelson stepped to the plate and took a pitch the other way, sending her 25th home run of the year over the fence in right-center to give the Roadrunners their first lead of the game at 2-1.

The Saints threatened to pull even in the sixth inning, putting a two-out rally together as Katherine Martin sent a single to center, and Pilar Harden followed with a four-pitch walk. Head coach Mike Davenport called on junior Kayla Martin to hit of the bench, but a groundout to second ended the threat.

The Roadrunners stretched their lead to three in the last of the sixth inning with a two-out rally as Tesone launched a two-run no doubter over the fence in left field, her second hit of the game and third RBI of the contest to give Metro a 4-1 comeback victory.

Junior right-hander Sarah Phillips was the loser, allowing four runs on five hits to drop her record to 44-2 on the season. She had nine strikeouts and no walks to close the season with 294 punch-outs on the year.

Christie Robinson was the winner, improving to 30-3 on the year with the complete game, allowing just one run on 10 hits, while walking one and striking out two.

North Georgia’s Laura Voyles, Jessica Skeels, Courtney McGuire, and Leslee Smith played their final games for the Saints as the group finished their career’s with two PBC regular season and tournament championships, while making a pair of trips to the NCAA Division II College World Series.