COLUMBUS, Ga. — With league player of the year Johana Gomez going 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double, three RBIs and three runs and pitching a two-hitter with seven strikeouts, nationally second-ranked Lee University defeated Shorter College 10-3 in the Southern States Athletic Conference softball tournament final Saturday.
Lee will take a 55-4 record into the NAIA national tournament starting May 13 in Decatur, Ala.
“Johana was incredibly focused this week,” said Emily Russell, the SSAC coach of the year. “All she wanted this year was to make it to nationals, and she was able to use that motivation to her advantage. She dominated all week.”
The three runs for Shorter (47-14) all were unearned and came in the fourth inning, after the Lady Flames led 5-0. Elisabeth Barber had a two-run hit for the Lady Hawks.
Catcher Krista Goodlet from Gordon Lee High School and Chattanooga State was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs for Lee, and Caitlin Haley was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Shortstop Hernanza Ruiz was 2-for-3 with a double and scored three runs, while second baseman Danielle Balough was 2-for-4 and scored twice.
Balough, Goodlet and center fielder Savanna Bell joined Gomez on the all-conference first team, and Ruiz, pitcher Brittany Balough and third baseman Jenevieve Cena (from Hixson) were second-team choices. Bell, Cena and Rhea County’s Charlie Wooden made the SSAC all-freshman team.
Tabitha Farrow from Ooltewah was Lee’s Champion of Character selection, and the Balough sisters, Caitlin Beshears, Lindsay Shein, McMinn Central graduate Katelyn Grosch and Tennessee Tech transfer Taylor Horseman from Northwest Whitfield were SSAC all-academic players.
Second baseman Emily Clements from LaFayette High and pitcher Jessica Penney from Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe were two of Shorter’s all-conference players, both second-teamers. Penney, who also made the all-freshman team, did not pitch Saturday. Charlsie Broome from LaFayette and Kayla Lewis from Calhoun were among Shorter’s academic honorees.