Chowan had to use a walk-off hit by Lindsey Stigler in the bottom of the seventh inning to fight off elimination in the 2019 CIAA Softball Championship against Johnson C. Smith for the 5-4 win.

THE BASICS

FINAL | Chowan 5, Johnson C. Smith 4

RECORDS | Chowan 21-21, Johnson C. Smith 15-14

LOCATION | Salem, VA (Moyer Sports Complex)

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

Haley Cooper, Jesse Gentry, and Lindsey Stigler picked up three hits each in the win.  Gentry and Stigler hit a home run and drove in two RBI.

Beth Walker picked up two hits.  EmaRae Flores picked up the win in the circle tossing the complete game.

Chowan left 14 runners on bases after loading the bases in five of the seven innings.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Chowan would do most of their damage in the bottom of the first inning with three runs.  Haley Cooper drew a lead-off walk.  Beth Walker would reach on the fielder's choice.  Jesse Gentry put the Hawks on the board with a two-run home run to left center.  Lindsey Stigler would follow suit with a solo blast.

The Hawks would leave the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning as Brittany Parson reached on a single along with walks by Miranda Glover and Hannah Naifeh.

Johnson C. Smith rallied in the top of the second with a pair of runs to cut the deficit to 3-2 with three hits.

Chowan would load the bases in the second and third innings without pushing across a run.

The Hawks loaded the bases once again in the fourth inning.  Lindsey Stigler started the inning with a single up the middle.  Brittany Parson reached on an error.  EmaRae Flores singled to left before Hannah Naifeh hit a sac fly to plate a run to go ahead 4-2.

Chowan loaded the bases again in the bottom of the fifth inning but was turned away.

JCSU would even the score in the top of the seventh with two outs, 4-all.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Haley Cooper led off the inning with a single to left.  Beth Walker hit a dribbler down the third base line and Jesse Gentry loaded the bases with a bloop single to left.  Lindsey Stigler would walk it off with a single to left center for the 5-4 victory.