Shorter University senior center fielder Charlsie Broome from LaFayette, Ga., joined teammate Jackie Castaneda as an NAIA first-team softball All-American on Thursday, a day after she made the No. 2 play of the day for ESPN's "SportsCenter" and went 3-for-4 with a triple, a double and the only run of the Lady Hawks' national championship win over eight-time champion Oklahoma City University. Lee University senior pitcher Brittany Balough was a second-team All-American after going 25-3 with a 1.26 earned run average, and Lee's Ana Coscorrosa and Jennifer Ringle received honorable mention. Balough finished her Lady Flames career with a 2.09 ERA and a 66-22 record for a program-best .750 winning percentage (minimum 50 decisions). Broome batted .433 with 11 home runs, 14 doubles, five triples, 65 runs and 47 RBIs from the leadoff position this year. She said her over-the-fence catch in the top of the ninth inning Wednesday "was routine, and I had it all the way," but ESPN clearly was more impressed. Shorter's MVP pitcher Maddie Bray from Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe said, "Charlsie made the play of the game in the ninth, and then she led off the bottom half with a triple and scored the winning run on [LaFayette's] Emily Clements' single. That was a very exciting ending." Bray's three-hitter and Broome's catch overcame a seven-hitter by NAIA pitcher of the year Lily LaVelle. "The game was very nerve-racking, but I calmed down as it got going and was able to pitch my best," Bray said. "Everyone played their hearts out, and it was an amazing experience."
General
• The Southern Conference announced Thursday that it has expanded its agreement with ESPN3.com, signed last August, to televise league sporting events. Under the new terms, ESPN3 will show "a minimum of 40 exclusive events" each of the next three years. The 40 events will come from eight sports (football, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, volleyball, softball and baseball). Included in those 40 are eight football games, every game of the men's basketball tournament and the semifinals and title game of the women's tournament.
Baseball
• JACKSON, Tenn. -- Senior third baseman Sam Eberle from Chattanooga and Notre Dame High School was 3-for-5 with his 18th double of the season and four RBIs as Jacksonville State beat Morehead State 12-5 in the Ohio Valley Conference baseball tournament Thursday. Eberle leads the Gamecocks (27-29) with a .368 batting average, 37 walks and 47 runs scored, and he has 27 extra-base hits and 28 RBIs.
• DELAND, Fla. -- Senior Dylan Craig from Baylor School singled in Belmont's run in a 3-1 loss to Kennesaw State in the Atlantic Sun baseball tournament Thursday, after the Bruins edged Stetson 4-3 in 15 innings Wednesday. Junior Chase Brookshire from McCallie and freshman Scott Moses from McMinn Central pitched the first 10 innings against Stetson, and leadoff batter Craig scored a run. Craig, the Bruins' all-time hits leader, is batting .299 with 33 runs and 33 RBIs this season. Staff leader Brookshire is 7-3 with a 2.23 earned run average and was a first-team all-conference selection as well as an all-academic honoree. Moses is 2-2 with two saves and a 0.96 ERA and made the A-Sun all-freshman team.
• LEWISTON, Idaho -- Fourth-seeded Tennessee Wesleyan College takes the NAIA's best baseball run production (471 RBIs) and second-best runs total (505) and slugging percentage (.532) into its 6 p.m. EDT game today against fifth-seeded Embry-Riddle in the NAIA World Series. Wesleyan (48-11) has a 3.66 team earned run average. Embry-Riddle (43-16) is making its 11th Series appearance. Lee University (54-9-1) is seeded second and plays Saturday at 6 EDT against the winner of today's opening game between seventh seed Point Park (51-9) of Pennsylvania and 10th seed College of Idaho (41-19). Lee's win total is the best in the country this year, and this is the Cleveland school's sixth consecutive Series appearance. The Flames have finished in the top three the last four years.
Golf
• SALEM, Ore. -- Lee University has made the top 10 out of the original 29 teams going into the final round today of the NAIA men's golf tournament at Creekside Golf Club. The Flames collectively shot a 292 and are 10th at 907 after 54 holes, with JB Eksteen and Caleb Roberson at 228 after 73s Thursday and Jeremy Lawson and Hunter Vest at 229 and 231. Tennessee Wesleyan was tied for 21st at 937, led by Josh Wheeler at 227. Oklahoma Christian leads at 877, and the next three teams are at 880, 881 and 882.