Boxscore
Albany State senior Deanna Birdsong’s walk-off homerun in the bottom of the seventh inning gave the Lady Rams an exciting, 6-4 come-from-behind victory over Fort Valley State, and the 2010 SIAC Softball Championship.
Birdsong’s two-run blast also plated Macy Mager who reached on an error leading off the inning.
FVSU took the early lead in top of the second inning, when shortstop Jazmine McDaniel who singled leading off the inning scored on a sacrifice fly by catcher Jessica Buchanan putting the Lady Wildcats up 1-0.
Play was stopped in the bottom half of the second inning because of rain. After a two-hour delay the teams took back to the field to resume play.
Fort Valley State would add to their lead in the top of the fourth inning when Anjah Usher sacrificed Tawanna Barker for the 2-0 lead.
Albany State would chip away at the lead with single runs in the fourth and fifth, on a homerun by tournament MVP Sasha Reece and a Keandrea Kegler score on a FVSU miscue tying the game at 2-2.
The Lady Wildcats would regain the lead in the top-half of the sixth inning RBI single by Buchanon that again scored McDaniel.
The lead would be short lived as the Lady Rams responded with two-runs in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI double by Reece and a pinch-hit RBI single by Kandis Banks giving ASU a 4-3 lead.
FVSU would rally with two-out to tie the game at 4-4, when Ronkeya Garner doubled to right center, advanced on a passed ball and scored on a balk by Reese.
The stage was set for Birdsongs heroics and two-run blast that brought home Albany State’s fourth SIAC Softball Championship.
Albany State was led at the plate by Reece who was 2-for-2 with a homerun and two RBI and Birdsong who finished the day 1-for-4 and a homerun.
Fort Valley State was led by Buchanan and McDaniel who both finished with two hits and a run scored.
ASU’s Sasha Reece picked up her third victory of the tournament, pitching a complete game, allowing eight hits and only one earned run while Ronkeya Garner took the loss in relief for the Lady Wildcats.
Albany State received the SIAC’s automatic tournament bid and will now wait for the announcement of the NCAA South Regional pairings.
2010 SIAC Softball All-Tournament Team
Lakeisha Pruitt – Clark Atlanta University
Cherie Rice – Benedict College
Kayla Lewis – Kentucky State University
Canetra Ford – Kentucky State University
Ronkeya Garner – Fort Valley State University
Keirra Johnson – Fort Valley State University
Staci Cauthen – Albany State University
T’Shelya Bynum – Albany State University
Allyssa Spellman – Albany State University
Sasha Reece – Albany State University
Most Outstanding Coach: Robert Skinner – Albany State
Tournament MVP: Sasha Reece – Albany State University