Trojan News

UPDATE: Trevecca's final pool play game will be on Saturday (5/21) at 5:30 p.m. Trevecca will face No. 18 Oregon Tech, with the winner advancing to the final eight-time championship bracket. Oregon Tech is 37-12 overall and have won both of their pool play games to date. Oregon Tech pitcher Jackie Imhof (21-5) pitched a perfect game on Friday against Midland Lutheran. She will face Trevecca's Lauren Baker (25-0) who threw a 1-hitter against Midland. (Listen to Oregon Tech Radio Broadcast)

GULF SHORES, Ala. - The No. 2 Trevecca Trojan (48-3) softball team won their second pool play game, 4-0 over Northwood (Texas) University (37-15) at the 2011 NAIA National Softball Championships. With the win, Trevecca extends its nation-long winning streak to 20 games.

The 31st Annual NAIA Softball Championship is being played at the Gulf Shores SportsPlex. Trevecca will play their final pool game on Saturday against No. 18 Oregon Tech at 5:30 p.m.

In a match up of 20-game winners, Trevecca starting pitcher Riley Mashburn (21-3) pitched a complete game shutout, striking out seven (7) Knights. Mashburn allowed just three hits and three walks over seven innings of work.

Larisa Garcia (20-7) took the loss for Northwood. Garcia allowed seven hits and struck out five Trojans. Garcia wasn't credited with any earned runs due to four (4) Knight errors.

Mashburn ran into trouble in the first, second, fourth and sixth innings as the Knights put two on the board in each of those frames, but she stranded each of those runners, including six in scoring position. Trevecca's defense, which played error less ball, and Mashburn's seven strikeouts were key to the victory.

This was Mashburn's 15th complete game and fifth shutout of the year. Mashburn's career record is now 51-19 and this was her 12th career complete-game shutout. It was her 46th career complete game.

Trevecca coach Ben Tyree says the team was tested today, but passed the test, "Northwood tested, but Riley and the defense came up big when they had runners in scoring position. Riley made some big pitches with runners in scoring position and her teammates played error less ball behind her. Kari made a game-saving catch on a line-drive, if not for that Northwood would have scored a pair of runs."

"We took advantage of their miscues and kept the pressure on offensively. Karli, one of our seniors, was big at the plate with a pair of hits."

Trevecca's NAIA Championships Home Page

Trevecca, who won their 20th consecutive game, scored a run in the first inning, two in the fourth and then another run in the fifth.

Three errors proved costly for the Knights. A throwing error led to the first Trevecca run in the first inning and a one-out error in the fourth started a two-run rally for the Trojans as they tacked on some insurance runs. Breanna Zeis started that frame with a lead-off single and later came around on a throwing error. Heather Shuler dropped down a RBI-bunt single to cap the scoring in the inning.

Trevecca's bats didn't produce any extra base hits, but did have six different batters reach base safely with a hit. Senior Karli Rush was the only Trojan with more than one hit. Rush was 2-4 with a run scored. Haylee Rogers, the 2011 TranSouth Freshman of the Year, was 1-4 with a run scored, RBI, and a stolen base. Lauren Baker and Heather Shuler also added a RBI a piece.

Over the last 36 games, Trevecca is 35-1.

Trevecca is now 16-11 all-time at the NAIA Championships. Trevecca is now 14-3 in pool play at the NAIA Championships. Trevecca is 2-8 in games played in the final eight-team championship bracket. Trevecca won a game in bracket play in 2006 and again in 2007.

Trevecca will play No. 18 Oregon Tech on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. (Oregon Tech Radio Broadcast)