Heartbreak In Lawrenceville

Heartbreak In Lawrenceville- Wil Teague, Sports Information Director, 5/3/24

After dropping yesterday's opening-round matchup against #2-seeded Florida National University, the Lady Pioneers bounced back in the loser's bracket, defeating #4-seeded Talladega College this afternoon before having their season ended with an eliminating loss from none other than the Lady Conquistadors of FNU. 

Game Two:

Crowley's Ridge- 10

Talladega College- 9

Lawrenceville, GA- Pioneer fans embraced the fear of elimination early on in game two against Talladega College as the Lady Tornadoes came out swinging, taking a 5-0 lead over the Pioneers. This sluggish start from the Lady Pioneers is partly to blame due to the fact the contest was delayed four hours for lightning and weather protocols, which inevitably threw off the groove of the game. Nevertheless, the Lady Pioneers finally roared to life, waking up in the contest in the second inning with a four-run push, kindling the come-from-behind victory to life. In the bottom of the second, CRC scored four runs off three hits with Jocelyn Villarreal, Dru Bryant, and Shelby Elrod each collecting one RBI. CRC kept rolling as they tied the contest the following inning with Kourtni Jagneaux hitting her second double of the game, scoring Hannah Burk from second. Crowley's Ridge increased their odds of winning as they built their lead up over the Lady Tornadoes with three more runs in the fourth as Dru Bryant crossed the plate off a TC fielding error and with Bailey Cupples's double along with Jagneaux's single bringing in CRC's seventh and eighth runs. Senior Maddie Reed raked in the Pioneers' last two runs in the fifth inning as the Depew, OK native delivered a critical two-out, two-RBI single, canceling out the two runs Tornadoes summoned in the top half of the inning. Theatrically, Talladega raised the heart rate of Pioneer fans with a strong effort in the top of the seventh as TC pushed two runs across the plate off three hits before sophomore RHP Natalie Brightwell retired the final out, advancing her team and surviving elimination.

Halea Wells got the no-decision going 2.0 innings surrendering five runs (four earned) off six hits; walking two and striking out one. Melbourne, AR native Natalie Brightwell picked up her third win of the year as the righty relieved Wells tossing five productive innings allowing four runs off five hits; walking three, and striking out one. The Lady Pioneers scored ten runs off thirteen hits. Hannah Burk was perfect in the contest going (4-4) with a double. Kourtni Jagneaux followed going (3-4) with two doubles and two RBI. Dru Bryant also had two hits in the contest going (2-2) with two doubles and an RBI. 

Game Two:

Crowley's Ridge- 1

Florida National- 16

Lawrenceville, GA- The Lady Pioneers endured heartbreak in game five of the CAC tournament as CRC again fell to the #2-seeded Lady Conquistadors of FNU. After outlasting the four-hour weather delay and the Lady Tornadoes' frighting seventh-inning push, Crowley's Ridge's run in the CAC Tournament finally came to an end after FNU blasted out an overwhelming sixteen runs off sixteen hits in five innings. Trailing 4-0 in the fourth, senior Hannah Burk brought in CRC's lone run of the game as the Missourian rattled off her sixth consecutive base hit in the tournament, sparking life into the team as fellow senior Maddie Reed crossed the plate to get the Lady Pioneers on the board. Roughly, the Floridians speedily snuffed out the CRC momentum as they ran away with the contest the following inning with the Lady Conquisdators flopping out twelve runs off ten hits along with the help of four Pioneer mishaps. Maddie Reed joined Burk as the only other Lady Pioneer to claim a hit in the game with Reed going (1-2) in her final collegiate contest. Shelby Elrod took the loss throwing all 4.0 innings, surrendering sixteen runs (six earned) off sixteen hits; walking one, and striking out two. Elrod finishes her career at CRC tied for most career wins (29); tied for single-season wins (12); and stands at the top of all-time K's with (269); Single season strikeouts (99); and all-time innings pitched with (360.1). 

With the game-two win over Talladega College, the Lady Pioneers earned their program's best finish with an overall record of 22-17 on the year. It truly has been a pleasure covering, stating, and recapping all the Pioneer Softball news this season. Until next year, #GOPIONEERS