Lady Senators win NJCAA Softball World Series opener over Angelina

OXFORD, AL – Tori Coffman allowed a hit to the first batter of Tuesday evening's game against No. 13 Angelina. 

She didn't allow a baserunner the rest of the way. 

Coffman got a double play the very next batter and set down 20 in-a-row as No. 4 Walters State opened up the NJCAA Softball World Series with a 3-0 win over the Lady Roadrunners. 

"Things started off slow but after the first inning everything started clicking," Coffman said. "I felt really good. The team made some great plays and we hit. It was just great." 

Coffman finished the game with nine strikeouts while allowing just the one hit. She had no walks and improved to 31-1 with the win. 

"I was just focusing on getting outs and doing my thing and staying calm," Coffman said. 

Due to rain all throughout the morning and afternoon, Tuesday's contest didn't start until 10:30 p.m. CT. However, that didn't seem to bother the Lady Senators as they came out attacking from the very beginning.

"We love night games," Walters State first baseman Brianna Beech said. "Night games are really what we enjoy playing in." 

Beech was the star at the plate for Walters State in the game, collecting half of their hits. Beech had a double and a single and knocked in two runs. 

Beech also did it in the field, as she turned an impressive double play in the first inning that calmed some nerves and got the Lady Senators into the flow of the game.

Following a scoreless first, the Lady Senators got on the board in the second inning as Tatum Dye and Beech singled to put runners on the corners with no one out. That brought up Halle Laramie who came through with a fielder's choice to score Dye and make it 1-0. 

After Coffman struck out the side in the third, the Lady Senators were at it again in the bottom half of the inning as Kasey Bennett reached on an error and Jules Johnson singled with one out. After a flyout for the second out, Beech delivered with a double into the right-center gap that scored both Bennett and Johnson to make it 3-0. 

"The pitch was right there," Beech said. "Looking over and seeing everyone screaming, that's what makes everything so perfect." 

From there, Coffman faced the minimum the rest of the way. While she was in control the whole time, Coffman did have help from her defense as both Kailey Dixon and Sarah King made impressive plays in the outfield to help out their pitcher.

Coffman got a flyout to center, a flyout to right and a popout to second in the seventh to end the game. 

Up Next:

Walters State will be back in action on Wednesday to take on No. 5 Northwest Florida State. That game will begin at 2 p.m. CT and will be played on Field 4.

And if there was any doubt at what the Lady Senators want to do in Wednesday's game, Beech made it very clear.

"Hit, hit and hit," Beech said. 

Rob Harvey

Walters State Community College

Sports Information Director

Cell: (423) 779-8880

Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu

Website: www.ws.edu/athletics