2014 All-CIAA Softball Tournament Team
Anthony Jeffries
Michelle Shackelford (Second From Left), Meranda Zanni (No. 5) and Daja White (Behind Zanni) Were All-CIAA Softball Tourney Selections

Softball Sports Information Office

Lady Falcons Fall To WSSU In CIAA Softball Finals

Box Score  PETERSBURG, Va. – Saint Augustine's University's magnificent run in the CIAA Softball Tournament ended in the championship game with a 5-4 loss to Winston-Salem State University at the Virginia State University field on Saturday, April 19, 2014.

The championship appearance was the first in recent memory for the Lady Falcons, who scared the Lady Rams in the last inning after trailing 4-1. The Lady Falcons scored three runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game, but an error in the bottom half of the inning allowed the Lady Rams to score and win the CIAA title. The Lady Falcons needed two wins to win the league crown in the double-elimination tournament.

Despite the loss, the Lady Falcons climbed another step toward their goal of winning a title. Third-year Head Coach Nikki Bynum Bumpass, along with assistant coach Bruce Cozart, turned the Lady Falcons into a serious title contender this season.

"We grew so much," said Bumpass, who led the St. Aug volleyball team to the 2011 CIAA crown. "We matured a lot this season. We peaked at the right moment. We lived up to our slogan of 'One Team-One Dream.'''

Bumpass gave credit to seniors Michelle Shackelford (Bowie, MD), Jennifer Plair (Hampton, VA) and LaKeisha Ford (Madison Heights, VA) for their leadership. The three players guided a young and talented squad to their second consecutive second-place finish in the Southern Division behind Winston-Salem State. The Lady Falcons won three of five games in the tournament.

In the seventh inning, it appeared the Lady Falcons would come back and beat the Lady Rams. Shackelford started a three-run rally with a two-run single to centerfield which scored Meghan Mahon (Fr./Houston, TX) and Taylor Walters (Jr./Douglasville, GA). Shackelford later scored when Cierra Neal (Jr./New Hill, NC) reached base on an error to tie the game at 4-4 in the same inning.

Momentum swung the Lady Falcons' way after they tied the score. But it quickly disappeared in the bottom half of the seventh after Monet Daly of the Lady Rams hit a triple and scored on an errant throw to third base.

Shackelford led the Lady Falcons (18-21 overall) with two RBIs and one run scored. Jo'Landa White (Jr./Leland, NC) went 1-for-2 with an RBI and Walters scored two runs for the Lady Falcons. Korey Hill (Fr./Virginia Beach, VA) went 2-for-3.

Meranda Zanni (Fr./Phoenix, OR) pitched well despite the loss. She scattered five hits and had five strikeouts with two walks in a complete game of six and one-third innings. All five of the Lady Rams' runs were unearned as Lady Falcons committed three errors to two for Winston-Salem State. The Lady Falcons totaled eight errors in two tournament losses to the Lady Rams.

The Lady Falcons took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on White's single which scored Walters. The Lady Rams would come back and score two runs in the second for a 2-1 lead. They added a run in the fourth inning and another run in the fifth inning to take a three-run lead into the seventh.

Shackelford was disappointed in the loss, but she is proud that the Lady Falcons have quickly become a top CIAA team.

"Even though we didn't win the CIAA Tournament, it is still an amazing feeling to come this far from winning a few games my freshman year to now," said Shackelford, who was named to the All-CIAA Tournament Team along with Daja White (Soph./Leland, NC) and Zanni. "It is a great feeling."

The Lady Falcons lose three players, but return the nucleus that played a key role in their recent success. They will likely be among the favorites to win the championship next season.
 
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