San Jacinto College softball best in Texas

Kyle Smith - 5/16/2008

PLANT CITY, Florida – After playing three games on Friday, the San Jacinto College softball team is the only Texas team remaining in the 2008 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I Fast Pitch National Championship. San Jac put away McLennan Community College of Waco, Texas (MCC) in their first game of the day and Wabash Valley College (WVC) put away Midland College of Midland, Texas, leaving San Jac as the only Texas team left in the national championship.

San Jac came out hitting in the first game against MCC. In the second inning , San Jac drove in one run, only to be answered in the bottom of the inning by MCC to keep the score tied at one all. The game would remain scoreless for four innings until San Jac drove in two runs in the sixth to go up 3-1. SJC held MCC to that score and advanced to the next round where they faced WVC.

San Jac’s sticks were on fire early against WVC driving in three runs in the first inning. San Jac came out on top 11-6 against WVC.

In their third game of the day against Spartanburg Methodist College (SMC), San Jac continued their hitting spree. In the bottom of the third inning, with two runners on, Tasha Rotramel (Lake Jackson, TX) hit a two run RBI driving in Cheyenne Parent (Guy, TX) and Stacy McLeod (Pasadena, TX). With Rotramel on second and Krystal Plummer (Angleton, TX) on third, Janet Rendon (Houston, TX) smashed a deep one to centerfield driving in both Rotramel and Plummer. Keeping up the pattern, Kelsey McClain (Pasadena, TX) drove in Rendon, making it 5-0 to end the third.

Energized and focused from the previous inning, San Jac stepped back onto the field in the fourth inning wanting more runs. They quickly loaded the bases with no outs. Rotramel was back at the plate and drove in McLeod off a sacrifice fly. Plummer would score of a pass ball making it 7-0. Rendon was next in line and drove in Parent. Brittany Boren (Bryan, TX) then drove in Rendon to end the inning at 9-0.

NJCAA rules state that if a team is winning by at least eight runs after five innings, the game is over. Knowing this, San Jac stepped onto the field three outs shy of ending the game. SMC stayed alive by getting a few runners on base, but it was no match for San Jac’s defense, and the game was called after five with a final score of 9-0.

McClain had another stellar performance in game three, pitching a two hit shutout, and she gets wins in all three games for the day. San Jac is guaranteed to walk away from the national championship with at least a fourth-place finish.

San Jac next faces top-ranked, and top-seeded, Santa Fe Community College at 9 a.m. (CDT), Saturday, May 17, 2008, in Plant City, FL. For a complete 2008 NJCAA Division I Fast Pitch National Championship bracket and updates, please visit www.internationalsoftball.com.