CHIPOLA WINS SOFTBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
2007-05-19

Top-seeded Chipola was crowned NJCAA national champion after a second match up against eighth-seeded North Idaho, in a 6-3 victory this afternoon in Plant City Stadium at the National Junior College Athletic Association’s (NJCAA) Division I women’s (fast pitch) softball national championship.

The Lady Indians grabbed the lead in the top of the third inning, with the help of shortstop Christal Kotchman’s two RBIs and right fielder Areke Spel’s RBI single. North Idaho gained momentum in the next inning with RBIs in the bottom of the fourth from designated hitter Justine Williams, who singled, and center fielder Keely Torgison, who doubled. Another run in the bottom of the seventh by the Sharks tied it up, but Chipola rallied back in the top of the eighth, scoring three more runs to seal their national championship title.

The title game that decided the national champion was played between the two teams twice, due to North Idaho edging the Lady Indians, 5-4, in the first title game of the afternoon. North Idaho took an early lead in the bottom of the second inning, when catcher Alysha Krier hit a three-run home run. Chipola rallied back in the top of the fourth, scoring four runs to tie the game. The game was forced into eight innings, when center fielder Keely Torgison singled for an RBI, helping North Idaho steal the victory.

The national championship, which took place at the world headquarters of the International Softball Federation (ISF), will return to Plant City in 2008.

In the first game this morning, North Idaho added another victory to their four-game winning streak, shutting out sixth-seed Northeastern Oklahoma, 4-0. North Idaho got their first runs in the bottom of the third inning, with the help of second base player Angie Boardmen’s RBI. They struck again in the bottom of the fifth, with a double and another RBI by Boardmen, along with first base player Kristen Burtch’s single that produced another run. North Idaho’s Kelcey Cavan pitched a complete game with six strikeouts.

The eighth-seed’s win advanced them to play Eastern Arizona at Noon in the semifinals. There, they kept their momentum, upsetting the #2 seed, 2-1. The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning, when North Idaho took advantage of Eastern Arizona errors. North Idaho’s Kirsten Bahr ran for catcher Alysha Krier, who was put on base by a walk. She was batted forward to third and advanced home on an error, contributing to the eighth-seed’s two runs. Shortstop Kelli Bridges single also drove a runner in, sealing North Idaho’s victory.

In the top of the sixth inning, Eastern Arizona cut North Idaho’s lead to only one run when right fielder Noe Esperas advanced to home on a passed ball. However, the two-seed could not gain enough momentum in the final innings, resulting in an upset by the underdog, North Idaho. Winning pitcher Kelcey Cavan helped her team reach the championship game by striking out ten batters.

The 2007 NJCAA All-Tournament Team was: