The Saints celebrate their 3-1 championship game victory over Geneva Friday afternoon Thomas More Rolls to PAC Softball Title With 3-1 Victory Over Geneva 5/3/2013 6:34:35 PM Championship website 2013 PAC Softball Championship Tournament Hosted by Westminster College – New Wilmington, Pa. Thursday, May 2 Game A (11 a.m.): (4) Thomas More 2, (1) Westminster 1 Game B (1 p.m.): (2) Geneva 6, (3) W&J 3 Game C (3 p.m.): (4) Thomas More 8, (2) Geneva 0 (6 inn.) Game D (5 p.m.): (3) W&J 5, (1) Westminster 4 Friday, May 3 Game E (1 p.m.): (2) Geneva 3, (3) W&J 0 Game F (3 p.m.): (4) Thomas More 3, (2) Geneva 1 NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Fourth-seeded Thomas More College posted a pair of Thursday wins on the opening day of the 2013 Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Softball Championship Tournament, but it was Friday’s 3-1 victory over second-seeded Geneva College that locked up the conference championship for the Saints. The 2013 title for Thomas More is its third in program history (2013, 2010, 2009). The Saints have earned appearances in the conference championship tournament in seven of its eight years as a PAC member. The victory also gives the Saints the PAC’s automatic berth in next week’s NCAA Division III Softball Tournament. The tournament’s selection show, along with its regional assignments, is scheduled for Monday, May 6 at 10 a.m. Thomas More (23-17) is the second-straight number four seed to claim the PAC title, following Geneva’s (22-18) terrific two-day run a year ago. Thomas More took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when junior center fielder Ashley Fletcher scored on a RBI single by freshman right fielder Mamee Salzer. The Saints extended their lead to 2-0 in the fifth when Salzer scored on a Geneva fielding miscue. In the top of the sixth the Saints increased their lead to 3-0 when freshman designated player Haley Shuemake scored on a RBI single by sophomore second baseman Hannah Curtis. Geneva plated a run in the bottom of the seventh on a RBI double by freshman center fielder Elyssa Simko, but junior pitcher Ronni Burns was able to bounce back and notch a strikeout to end Geneva’s rally. Burns earned the win in the circle for the Saints, going seven innings and giving up just one run (earned) on six hits while striking out seven. Shuemake finished 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored to pace Thomas More at the plate. Salzer finished 2-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored while junior third baseman Alex Walter went 2-for-3. Freshman starter Samantha Johnson suffered the loss for Geneva, allowing three runs (2 earned) on eight hits in six innings of work. Johnson also led the Golden Tornadoes at the plate, finishing 2-for-3. Following the conclusion of Friday’s trophy presentation Thomas More’s Alex Walter, Salzer and junior first baseman Stefaney Turner were selected to the PAC All-Tournament team, while Burns was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Geneva junior shortstop Ashley Davis, freshman first baseman Laura Beck and Johnson also earned spots on the conference’s All-Tournament team. Rounding out the All-Tournament team were Westminster College junior left fielder Erika Pamer and Washington & Jefferson junior shortstop Kelsey Cunningham and freshman pitcher Emily Watson. GAME A (4) Thomas More vs. (1) Westminster – New Wilmington, Pa. | Westminster Softball Field Thomas More 2, Westminster 1 box score NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Thomas More took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning when sophomore left fielder Catie Luck reached on a double and then scored on an error. The Saints increased their lead to 2-0 in the top of the fourth when junior third baseman Alex Walter singled and then two batters later scored on an error. Westminster would score its first run on a RBI groundout by junior second baseman Kelsey Squelch in the bottom of the seventh, but that would be all the host Titans would come away with. Junior Ronni Burns earned the win in the circle for the Saints after going seven innings and gave up one run (earned) on five hits and striking out three. Freshman right fielder Mamee Salzer and Alex Walter each had a pair of hits to pace the Saints. GAME B (2) Geneva vs. (3) Washington & Jefferson – New Wilmington, Pa. | Westminster Softball Field Geneva 6, Washington & Jefferson 3 box score NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Defending conference champion Geneva hung four runs in the bottom of the first in support of freshman starter Samantha Johnson, which would prove to be all they would need as the Golden Tornadoes cruised to a 6-3 win over the Presidents. Johnson was terrific for Geneva in the win, going seven innings and allowing three runs (2 earned) on eight hits with four strikeouts. Washington & Jefferson would plate a pair of runs in the second on RBI singles from senior second baseman Stephanie Zur and freshman designated player Emily Watson and trim the Geneva lead to one, 3-2, heading into the third. Geneva would quickly get back the two runs it ceded in the top of the frame following a one out, two-run home run by freshman first baseman Laura Beck in the bottom of the third. W&J senior center fielder D.J. Ufolla scored on a Geneva throwing error in the bottom of the seventh to cut the Golden Tornadoes lead to 6-3, but a groundout one batter later would stifle the Presidents rally. Beck led Geneva at the dish, finishing 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, four RBI and a pair of runs scored. Watson and junior shortstop Kelsey Cunningham each finished with a pair of hits for the Presidents. GAME C (2) Geneva vs. (4) Thomas More – New Wilmington, Pa. | Westminster Softball Field Thomas More 8, Geneva 0 (6 inn.) box score NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Thomas More would not be denied of its sixth championship game appearance since joining the PAC in 2006, using a 12-hit attack to dispense of Geneva 8-0 (6 inn.). Burns would once again prove to be force in the circle for the Saints, giving up just a pair of hits to go along with four strikeouts in her six innings of work. Seven of the Saints’ nine starters registered hits in the mercy-rule victory over the Golden Tornadoes. Salzer led the offensive effort, going 2-for-4 with three RBI. Beck and freshman left fielder Dayna Hicks notched the only two hits for Geneva. Johnson went just four innings in her second start of the day, surrendering seven runs (3 earned) on nine hits. GAME D (1) Westminster vs. (3) Washington & Jefferson – New Wilmington, Pa. | Westminster Softball Field Washington & Jefferson 5, Westminster 4 box score NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Top-seeded Westminster extended its lead to 4-2 after Squelch’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth, but W&J would capitalize on a pair of Titan errors in the top of the sixth to secure the 5-4 come-from-behind win and continue its run to the conference championship game. After Cunningham’s two-run double in the top of the second staked the third-seeded Presidents to a 2-0 lead, Westminster junior left fielder Liz Pamer answered with a two-run single in the bottom of the frame gave the Titans a 3-2 lead going into the third. Squelch’s sacrifice fly in the fourth would extend the Titan lead to 4-2, but the Presidents would counter in its three-run sixth, using three hits and a pair of Westminster errors to erase the deficit and claim a 5-4 lead. The Titans would see the tying run advance to third in the bottom of the sixth before being set down in order in the seventh. Watson took the ball for W&J and did not disappoint, allowing four runs (2 earned) on nine hits with four strikeouts in the win. Cunningham and sophomore left fielder Breanna Gleason each notched a pair of hits for the Presidents. Pamer and Squelch each finished with two RBI for Westminster. GAME E (2) Geneva vs. (3) Washington & Jefferson – New Wilmington, Pa. | Westminster Softball Field Geneva 3, Washington & Jefferson 0 box score NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Despite managing just three hits, Geneva was able to advance and play for its second-straight conference title due in large part to Johnson’s stellar elimination game performance. The freshman surrendered four hits and struck out four in second-seeded Geneva’s 3-0 shutout victory over third-seeded Washington & Jefferson to get play underway Friday afternoon. Davis’ RBI single in the first staked the Golden Tornadoes to an early 1-0 lead. Geneva extended its lead to 2-0 in the second after Johnson scored from third on a W&J two out wild pitch. Sophomore right fielder Andrea Hinds pushed the Geneva lead to 3-0 in the fourth with her two out RBI single to left, scoring Johnson from second. Freshman Krista McCartney was saddled with the elimination game loss for W&J after giving up two runs (2 earned) on a pair of hits in three innings of work. Senior second baseman Stephanie Zur led the Presidents at the plate, finishing 2-for-3. GAME F — CHAMPIONSHIP (2) Geneva vs. (4) Thomas More – New Wilmington, Pa. | Westminster Softball Field Thomas More 3, Geneva 1 box score NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Junior starter Ronni Burns tossed her third-straight complete game Friday afternoon and helped Thomas More secure the 2013 PAC Championship Tournament title with its 3-1 victory over Geneva. Burns, named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player for her efforts over the two-day event, tossed seven strong innings for the Saints. She surrendered one run (earned) on six hits and tied the tournament high with seven strikeouts. Freshman designated player Haley Shuemake finished 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored to pace the Saints at the plate. Freshman right fielder Mamee Salzer finished 2-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored while junior third baseman Alex Walter went 2-for-3. Geneva freshman starter Samantha Johnson was shouldered with the loss, allowing three runs (2 earned) on eight hits in six innings of work. Johnson also led the Golden Tornadoes at the plate, finishing 2-for-3.