Elrods Effort Ends Conquistadors Quest

Elrod's Effort Ends Conquistadors Quest-Wil Teague, Sports Information Director, 5-4-23 Photo Credit: Autumn Winston Burk 

The Lady Pioneers ended the regular season with an overall record of 18-14 and a conference record of 7-4, earning them a postseason berth. The Lady Pioneers were seeded 3rd overall in the CAC tournament which was set to be hosted in Lawrenceville, GA at Georgia Gwinnett College. Under the Leadership of Head Coach Jordan Malone the Lady Pioneers made the 510-mile trip to Lawrenceville, Georgia set up to face off against #2 seed, Florida National University in the opening round. The matchup would be a goodie as the score would remain 1-1 until the Lady Pioneers summoned the bats in the top of the 7th and pulled away with the 5-1 win.

Crowley's Ridge- 5

Florida National- 1

Lawrenceville, GA- The Lady Pioneers entered the game as the underdog being seeded one spot behind the (21-17) Conquistadors. With so much pressure in this opening round, the Pioneers looked to junior ace, Shelby Elrod once more. Elrod painted a solid regular season resume as she collected a double-digit win record of 10 wins and 6 losses, but the Conquistadors made the Kentucky native earn her 1st win in the post-season. Elrod would pull through for the Pioneers and stand firm in the pitching circle going the distance whirling all 7.0 innings, only allowing 1 run on 4 hits walking 3, and striking out 7 in the 5-1 upset victory. The contest remained scoreless as both teams witnessed a pitcher's duel from the sideline over the first two innings of the game, but Piper Farmer broke the silence as she rocketed a ball over the right fielder's head kick-starting the 3rd inning with a stand-up double. Two batters and two outs later Maddie Reed kicked in the clutch factor and scored Farmer from second as Reed smashed the second Pioneer double of the inning past the left fielder allowing CRC to take the 1-0 lead. Florida National collected the third out ending the inning in search of an answer and the Conquistadors would find it. FNU didn't allow the Pioneer lead to live very long for they wasted little time by tying the game back up in the bottom half of the third inning. Both teams managed a few hits over the next two innings with CRC leading the way but once more, as if someone flipped the switch, the deadlock continued. Before long the Pioneers faced their final three outs of regulation heading into the top of the 7th still looking for the catalyst the get things moving. The jolt CRC needed came in the form of 3rd basemen Piper Farmer. Like a bad case of deja vu for FNU, Farmer hit her second double to right field leading off the top of the 7th. Autum Maxell followed Farmer's double with an HBP bringing Elrod to the plate. Elrod did the selfless thing and laid down a bunt to move the runners up, but with perfect placement down the third base side, and with her speed, Elrod loaded the bases for CRC. With all momentum of the Pioneers' side, Dru Bryant broke the tie as she found the gap on the right side of the field scoring pinch runners Heather Conaway and Madison Erickson with the 2 RBI single. Bryant and Elrod took advantage of a shaken FNU defense as both Pioneers moved up one base, Elrod crossed the plate and Bryant advanced to second, on a Conquistador error. Catcher, Brooklyn Melson, ended the game-altering inning with an RBI single to left field giving CRC the 5-1 lead. The Pioneers headed out in need of three outs to complete the upset but gave some nervous laughs as Elrod fought around 2 walks in the inning before Bailey Cupples ended the game by catching a line drive in left field halting all FNU momentum. 

"Words can't express how proud I am of these girls. This is the team I've been telling them they are all year. The only thing this group has lacked is a little bit of confidence, not talent. They found their confidence today!" - Head Coach Jordan Malone. 

This win places CRC in the winner's bracket where their next contest will be against Georgia Gwinnett College on Friday, May 5, starting at 11:00 AM CDT. The winner of the contest will get one of the CAC's automatic bids to the Opening Round of the NAIA national tournament. #GOPIONEERS

Leaders: Hitting

CRC scored 5 runs on 10 hits. 3 Pioneers ended with multiple hits. 

Elrod (2-4), Farmer (2-3)(2)(2B), Cupples (2-3)

Pitching:

Elrod: 7.0 innings, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 SO