Quinn Walk-Off Lifts Campbell to Second A-Sun Title
Brittany Stanley pitched all 31 innings of the Championship for the Camels, going 4-0 in the process. Image courtesy of ASunPhotos.com
Date Posted: 5/10/2008
DeLAND, Fla. - With two on and two out in the bottom of the 10th, Campbell's Courtney Quinn blasted a walk-off homer to give the Camels a 6-3 win over Stetson and their first Atlantic Sun Softball Championship since 1995.
Campbell (41-23) swept through the Championship field, posting a 4-0 record. The 2008 Camels become the eighth team to go undefeated in the A-Sun Championship since the conference switched to a double-elimination format in 1989. Florida Atlantic was the last to accomplish the feat (2001).
Quinn's game-winner came two innings after the Camels seemed to win the game in the bottom of the eighth inning. With a runner on second and two outs, Quinn stroked a hit down the right-field line as Keeli Michael pranced home from second. The celebration was short lived, however, as Quinn failed to officially re-enter the game after Kendal McDowell replaced her in left field. As a result, Quinn was ruled out.
"I screwed up big-time back in the eighth," Campbell head coach Drew Peterson said. "I'm so thankful and proud of these girls. They worked so hard all year and there's no team that deserves it any more than this team."
Brittany Stanley earned her fourth win of the Championship inside the circle, pitching all 31 innings for the Camels. Stanley allowed three runs on eight hits and struck out six. She earned the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award.
Quinn went 3-for-5 at the plate, driving in five runs. Amanda Littlejohn also went 3-for-5 and had Campbell’s other RBI. Both earned All-Tournament honors.
"She won it for us the first time and we had it taken away, and she did it again," Stanley said of Quinn. "She just wanted it that bad and she’s that good of a hitter."
Amanda Lindsey took the loss inside the circle for the Hatters (43-24), pitching in relief of starter Erica Demers. Stetson's lone All-Tournament Team selection, Lindsey went 2-3 at the plate with a home run and two RBI.
Needing a win to force a second game, the Hatters got on the scoreboard first in the top of the fourth inning. Lindsay Wightman and Blythe Golden led off the inning with consecutive singles and a third base hit from Amanda Bailey scored Golden to put the Hatters ahead, 1-0.
The Campbell bats woke up in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three runs on two hits. With one out and runners at second and third, Quinn registered her first two RBI of the Championship to give the Camels a 2-1 lead. Quinn came home to score two batters later when Amanda Littlejohn singled, extending the Camel lead to two, 3-1.
Campbell would not hold the lead for long, as Lindsey came away with a big hit for the Hatters in the fifth. With one on and two out in the inning, Lindsey crushed a deep home run over the left field fence, tying the game at 3-3.
The Camels threatened to take the game in regulation, but Lindsey fanned Amanda Miller with runners on first and second. Littlejohn doubled with one out in the inning, but Campbell could not advance the catcher any further.
In the top of the ninth, Stetson came within a few feet of forcing a second game. Stanley retired Amy Joyce and Nicole Forbes in order to start the inning and then chose to pitch to Stetson slugger, Andrea Migliori. Migliori put a charge in the first pitch she saw, sending it deep to right. Robin Leathers retreated to the warning track, using all 194-feet of right field before making the catch.
In the top of the 10th, the shortstop Miller saved the potential go-ahead run for the Hatters. After intentionally walking Lindsey to put runners at first and second with two outs, Leonor Carreno hit a bouncing ground-ball up the middle. Shortstop Amanda Miller made a great diving stop and flipped to second baseman Michael from her stomach for the third out.
Campbell's win breaks a streak of 12-consecutive A-Sun titles for institutions located in the state of Florida. The Camels are also the first No. 5 seed to win the A-Sun Championship under the current six-team, double-elimination format that was introduced in 1996.
All-Tournament Team
