Waxahachie, TX
May 9, 2019 | Blake Cochran
The Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) softball team has put together its first 30 win season after winning the Central Regional tournament to advance to the NCCAA World Series . The Lady Lions shut out Ecclesia 5-0 Tuesday then Mid-America Christian 5-0 that night to advance to the championship game the next day. MACU beat Ecclesia 9-1 to face SAGU for the regional championship, with a double elimination format MACU would have to defeat the Lady Lions in back to back games. Casey Waterman pitched a one-hitter to advance SAGU to the NCCAA World Series in Botetourt, Virginia during the 4-0 victory.
Game one against Ecclesia College, the Lady Lions started the game with a Cheyenne Fults solo home run in the bottom of the first inning, 1-0 SAGU. The game remained 1-0 until the bottom of the 6th when Waterman hit a 3-run home run that would bring home Janely Cruz and Fults. Ecclesia had one more chance in the top of the 7th when Waterman was able to go three up and three down to end the game. Waterman was recorded with the win after not allowing an earned run from five hits while striking out five batters and walking one.
MACU was up next, the game remained scoreless for the first three innings. Top of the 4th with Fults up to bat and singling to left, Waterman up next with a 1-0 count. She hit her second home run of the day over the right field fence to put SAGU up 2-0. Destinee Vindiola hit a grounder to the infield that was misplayed for an error that would score Airiana Magdaleno and Maddie Watson . The Lady Lions would score the final run of the game the next inning when Cruz reached on base from a wild throw. Magdaleno would later bring her home from an RBI single. Waterman mimicked game one after pitching all seven innings not allowing any runs from MACU’s five hits.
SAGU being the visitor team in the championship game was up to bat first. Rhian Journey started the game off with a single. Cruz up next reached first from a fielder’s choice forcing Journey out. Fults advanced Cruz to second by singling to second. Rosie Guadarrama up to bat with two on and two outs hit a double to deep right-center that would score both Cruz and Fults. Kayla Milstead up to bat next brought Guadarrama home from hitting a double to right field, SAGU up 3-0 end of the first. The game remained this score until the top of the 6th when Vindiola hit an RBI single that would record the last run of the championship. This gives the Lady Lions a 30-26 record before the NCCAA World Series.
Eight teams advanced the NCCAA World Series with SAGU slated as the 5th seed and being placed in pool A with #1 seed Erskine College, #4 Concordia University Ann Arbor, and #8 Kentucky Christian University . Game one for the Lady Lions will be May 15th against the #4 seed at 2:30 pm then face Erskine College two hours later at 4:30. The last pool play game will be the next day at noon against KCU; the Lions will need to grab the one or two seed in pool A to advance to the next round. Seed #1A will face #2B that same day at 4 pm then #1B against #2A at 6 pm. The championship will be on Friday at noon with the winners of the semi-final games facing each other.
Southwestern Assemblies of God University is a private, Christian university located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas. The university was established in 1927, and now offers more than 70 associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees on campus or online. More information is available at ww w.sagu.edu
