Veney wins MVP honor by hitting .875 for the tourney

Box Score
GREENSBORO, March 4, 2007 – Tabitha Veney has always been one of Mamie Jones’ better contact hitters, batting clean-up for the veteran coach last season. Veney has always, however, had the problem of having teams pitch around her.

But with some extra pop around her in the lineup, Veney doesn’t have to worry about that this season and she seems to be taking advantage. Veney went 2-for-2 with a RBI on Sunday to help the North Carolina A&T softball team win the N.C. A&T Invitational championship game 10-2 over Winston-Salem State at the Lady Aggies Softball Complex.

Veney hit an amazing .875 for the tournament with eight runs scored, three home runs and five RBI. For her efforts, Veney was named N.C. A&T Invitational MVP. Yahamma White was MVP runner-up with a .500 average, two inside the park home runs and seven RBI.

Sylvia Felder (7 RBI), Lillian Bullock (.500) and Sasha Philpot (.3.27 ERA) were also named to the all-tournament team.

For the third straight game, the Aggies only played five innings because of the mercy rule. The Rams got on the board first; however, as Whitney Hall’s grounder to third scored Devyn Gillette for a 1-0 lead. The Aggies answered in their half of the first.

Freshmen Jessie Larson and Tangala Conover hit back-to-back RBI singles to take a 2-1 lead. After Veney walked, Chaola Simmons ripped a single to left field to score Larson. Jessica Cooper’s fielder’s choice scored the final run of the inning as Conover scored.

The Rams made things a little tighter for the Aggies in the third. Hall made it 4-2 when she laced a single up the middle to score Gillette from second. But the Aggies put the game away in the bottom half of the inning. Conover started the rally with line drive shot over the center field fence for a 5-2 lead.

Bullock reached on an error and went to second on a wild pitch. Veney again came through with an RBI single to give the Aggies a five-run lead. Veney moved to third on a wild pitch and stolen base. Chaola Simmons walked, leading to Cooper’s RBI single that dropped in front of the right fielder, scoring Veney.

Felder’s grounder to first scored Simmons as Leslie Hollis went home to try to get Simmons. On the throw, Cooper advanced to third. Cooper would eventually score on a wild pitch to give the Aggies a commanding 9-2 lead.

Philpot (5-3), who was 3-0 for the tournament, earned the win. Philpot pitched 11 innings for the tournament and surrendered just four earned runs, while striking out 13. The Aggies return to action on Wednesday when they host Savannah State in a 1 p.m. doubleheader.