DECATUR, Ala. - The University of Mobile Softball team continued to roll in the postseason as the top-ranked Rams have won each game played this weekend in the SSAC Softball Championship Tournament in Decatur, Ala. The Rams earned the 2022 SSAC Softball Regular Season Championship with a 24-2 SSAC record during the year, awarding Mobile the top seed of the tournament.
Game One Recap (Thurs. Apr. 28): No. 1 Mobile 8, Stillman 0
Mobile opened up the conference tournament with an 8-0 run-rule victory over Stillman College on Thursday, Apr. 28, scoring five runs in the second inning and two runs one inning later in the third. Mobile added one more in the fourth and cruised to a 1-2-3 top of the fifth to secure to run-rule victory.
Courtney Ellzey got the scoring started for the Rams, blasting a two-run homer for just her second home run of the season. Ellzey finished 1-for-3 with three RBIs in the win. Jaden Morace went 1-for-2 at the dish against Stillman, while driving in a pair of runs. Both Eila Infante and Madilyn Sheffield collected two hits against the Tigers as Mobile out-hit Stillman 10-2 in the ballgame.
Emily Butts improved to 19-0 from the pitcher's circle, throwing three scoreless innings while allowing just one hit. Brinkley Goff pitched two scoreless innings to conclude the game, also allowing just one hit.
Game Two Recap (Fri. Apr. 29): No. 1 Mobile 3, Faulkner 1
On Friday, the Rams faced the fourth-seeded Eagles of Faulkner University and claimed the win, 3-1. Mobile pushed across two runs in the very first inning, one off an RBI single by Eila Infante and the other from an RBI groundout by Courtney Ellzey.
Faulkner got on the scoreboard with a bases-loaded walk in the fourth, but Mobile pitching managed to escape the bases-loaded jam and limit the damage to just one run scored. Later, Eila Infante drove in another run with an RBI single in the sixth inning to give Mobile a two-run lead going into the seventh and final inning.
Infante finished 2-for-3 at the plate with her two RBIs as Mobile as a team recorded just four hits.
Emily Butts was awarded the win, coming in from out of the bullpen. Butts improves to 20-0 from the circle as she threw 3 1/3 innings scoreless innings, allowing just one hit. Brinkley Goff got the start and finished with a line of 3 2/3 innings, allowing one run off two hits.
Game Three Recap (Fri. Apr. 29): No. 1 Mobile 5, No. 6 William Carey 3
Later on Friday afternoon, Mobile and William Carey met for a spot in the championship game on the line. The meeting between the two top 10 teams is the fifth of the year, with Mobile owning the regular season series, 3-1.
After William Carey scored one run in the top of the first, the Rams scored one run in each of the first three innings to go up, 3-1. Later, Mobile scored two more runs in the fifth inning for much needed insurance runs. The Crusaders managed to score one run in the sixth and one run in the seventh before being shut down by Mobile pitching. The Rams came away with the 5-3 victory, earning a spot in the championship game on Saturday.
Caitlin McRee went 2-for-3 with a double and RBI in the win, being the only Ram to record an extra-base hit against the Crusaders. Jaden Morace and Chloe Buck joined McRee in finishing 2-for-3 with RBIs as Eila Infante and Courtney Ellzey drove in the other two runs.
From the circle, Emily Butts threw six innings against William Carey before being replaced in the seventh by Brinkley Goff. Butts got the win and improved to 21-0, while Goff notched her first save of the season. William Carey's Haley Nations, who beat out Butts and Goff for the SSAC Softball Pitcher of the Year Award, allowed three runs, five hits, and a walk in the defeat. By the numbers, Butts and Goff continue to prove that they are two of the best pitchers in the SSAC and NAIA.
With a spot in the championship game booked, Mobile will await the winner of the Middle Georgia State v. William Carey game on Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. CT. Because the conference tournament is a double-elimination tournament, the opposing team will have to beat Mobile twice in a row for the champinoship crown. The championship is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. CT in Decatur. Mobile's overall record sits at 45-2 overall this year.
About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.
For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
