No. 1 Campbell Wins 2021 Big South Softball Championship
Morgan Rios launched a go-ahead solo home run in the bottom of the fourth that proved to be the game-winner as the top-seeded Camels went on to defeat the USC Upstate Spartans 5-2, securing the 2021 Big South Softball Championship title Saturday afternoon at Brinkley Softball Stadium in Boiling Springs, N.C.
With the win, the Camels have swept the regular season and tournament titles, and receives the Big South's automatic bid to the NCAA Softball Tournament, and discovers its Regional destination on Sunday, May 16 following the section show at 9 p.m. on ESPN2.
Claire Blount, who was named the Big South Championship MVP, finished the tournament going 4-6 at the plate with two doubles a home run, and four RBIs with a slugging percentage of 1.500. The Florida native also finished with a tournament-best .833 on-base percentage and two runs.
Blount was joined on the All-Tournament team by Bri Bryant, Georgeanna Barefoot, and Morgan Rios.
Campbell's championship-winning effort was spearheaded by starting pitcher Georgeanna Barefoot (13-7) who picked up her third win of the tournament throwing a complete seven innings only giving up the two runs off six hits while getting six strikeouts.
The Camels struck first in the title-deciding second game, as Bri Bryant scored in the bottom of the first on a Claudia Ware sacrifice fly to right field, putting Campbell up 1-0.
Upstate responded in the next frame as Peyton Darnell homered to left field lead off the inning. Later, Marisa Soterakis doubled looking to score two, but a base running error by Upstate meant only one run scored.
The Spartans went on to load the bases in the second inning before Barefoot got out of the jam by forcing a ground out to first.
The Camels took advantage of another Upstate mistake in the bottom half of the inning as Delaney McDilda scored on a fielding error on a grounder to second base.
The game remained tied at two until the bottom of the fourth when catcher Morgan Rios launched a solo shot over the left field wall hitting the Brinkley Softball Facility and put the Camels up 3-2.
Campbell would add to its lead in the fifth inning as Ware scored from second base on a Kayla Fredendall single to center field when the Spartan outfielder misplayed the bounce allowing for Fredendall to advance to second and Blount to third.
Blount would score in the next at-bat as McDilda singled to put the Camels up 5-2.
With a three-run lead, Barefoot and the Campbell defense took care of the rest clinching the title on a ground ball to second base which was calmly fielded and thrown to first by Alexa Pagano ending the game and sealing the title for Campbell.
USC Upstate's Mallie Brown (14-5) took the loss going four and a third innings pitched giving up five runs, two earned off five hits.
2021 Big South All-Tournament Team
Claire Blount, Campbell (MVP)
Georgeanna Barefoot, Campbell
Morgan Rios, Campbell
Bri Bryant, Campbell
Mallie Brown, USC Upstate
Peyton Darnell, USC Upstate
Tiffany Domingue, USC Upstate
Jessie Marvin, Radford
Sydney Fisher, Radford
Sydney Backstrom, Longwood
Alexis Wayland, Longwood