Veney hits second grand slam of the tournament

 

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Game Story vs. Morgan State          Game Story vs. Delaware State
SEVERN, Md., May 13, 2007 – Maybe sometime soon someone will tell the North Carolina A&T softball team that conventional wisdom says the Aggies are not supposed to be making a march toward the MEAC Softball Championship with a lineup that includes four freshman infielders, a freshman pitching ace and one freshman in the outfield.

Then again, at this point, who cares what conventional wisdom says? The Aggies will play for their first MEAC softball title on Monday as they remained alive with a 13-8 win over Howard in the 2007 MEAC Softball Tournament on Sunday afternoon at Randazzo Park.

N.C. A&T came into the championship round having to beat Howard twice to earn the title because Howard was still playing out of the winner’s bracket of the tournament. The Aggies win sets up a winner take all scenario at Randazzo Park as the two teams will go for the championship and the automatic NCAA bid Monday morning at 10. Monday’s winner will play in the Tucson, Lillian Bullock hits grand slam against Howard.
Ariz., Regional against the University of Arizona Friday at 8:30 p.m., eastern time.

The Aggies won three games on Sunday to reach Monday’s final. They beat Morgan State 11-5 in a game that was continued over from Saturday night after rain halted play. The Aggies then eliminated Delaware State from the tourney with a 5-4 win before defeating the Bison. The Aggies improved to 5-1 in the tournament and 30-29 on the season. Howard is 34-19 on the season.

“It was an offensive ballgame by two teams who have a lot of power in their lineups,’’ said Aggies head coach Mamie Jones. “The kids were focused. They didn’t get rattled when Howard made its comeback. They just got the job done early and maintained their composure throughout.”

The Bison made one last attempt to secure the title on Sunday as Bison first baseman Jennifer Bien-Aime opened Howard’s half of the seventh with a single. But the comeback threat was quickly thwarted by Yahamma White, who has played an exceptional shortstop for the Aggies in the tournament.

After Semplecia Scott flew out to deep left field, White snagged a line drive off the bat of Candice Tatum out of the air and fired a rocket to first base to double off pinch-runner Aimee Macatangay to put the youthful Aggies one step closer to the school’s first NCAA Softball Regional. Sasha Philpot, who broke the school record for pitching wins in a season earlier in the day, earned the win against Howard. She improved to 18-10 on the season.

 “We need to go back and get a lot of rest tonight and come out tomorrow and play another hard-fought game,’’ said Jones. “If we’re not hitting and we’re making errors, there is no need for us to come out here because Howard will make us pay for it.”

The Aggies hit the ball on Sunday. They hit it early and they hit it far. Chaola Simmons opened the game by reaching on an error and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from White. Second-team All-MEAC performer Jessie Larson drove Simmons home with a single to right field. Tangala Conover and Lillian Bullock walked to load the bases for the Aggies.

Tabitha Veney, who came into the tournament 0-for-8 with the bases loaded, sent a 2-1 offering from Howard starter Dale McNeal over the right-center field fence for a grand slam home run. It was Veney’s second grand slam of the tournament. Veney’s slam gave the Aggies an early 5-0 lead.

Not to be out done, Bullock stepped to the plate in the second inning with the bases loaded and hit a towering shot over the left field fence for a grand slam and a 9-0 Aggies lead. It was Bullock’s MEAC-leading 17^th home run of the season.

The Bison began to chip away at the Aggies lead. With the Bison trailing 10-3 going into the bottom of the fourth, Philpot walked Tatum. Christina McCoy followed by hitting a grounder to third base. Conover’s throw from third to second base went into right field, allowing Tatum to go to third. Philpot would load the bases by walking Brianne Gutierrez.

After Larcus Pickett struck out, Tracy Javier grounded out to first, which brought home Tatum from third to cut the lead to 10-4. McCoy would score on a passed ball, and MEAC Rookie of the Year Courtney Young’s walk would set up Kristina Cordova’s two-run RBI single that cut the Aggies lead to 10-7.

But the Aggies never stop hitting on Sunday. Sylvia Felder hit an RBI single in the fifth to give the Aggies an 11-7 lead. Despite a Tatum homer in the bottom of the fifth, a throwing error in the top of the sixth put the Aggies ahead by four. Bullock capped the Aggies scoring with an RBI single.

Bullock, who has three home runs and 11 RBI in the tournament, was 2-for-3 with five RBI and two runs scored. White, who is hitting .550 in the tournament, was 2-for-3 with three runs scored in the game. Veney went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and four RBI. She is hitting .529 for the tournament.