Updated 2022 CIAA Softball Championship bracket
2022 CIAA Softball Championship - Tournament Central
Glen Allen, VA - The 2022 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Softball Championship continued with the semifinal round at RF+P Park in Glen Allen, VA. Today's action featured tha remaining four teams that advanced on Tuesday which includes all four top seeds, #1 Claflin, #2 Virginia State, #3 Bowie State, and #4 Winston-Salem State. Below are recaps from today's action:
#1 Claflin 7, #4 Winston-Salem State 5 FINAL
In a match-up between the last two teams to represent the CIAA in the NCAA Division II Softball championships, the Claflin Panthers held off a seventh-inning Winston-Salem State rally, and remaining in the winner’s bracket with the 7-5 win Friday at RF&P Park.
With one-out and the bases loaded, and three runs already across the plate, Claflin turned to 2022 CIAA Pitcher of the Year Bre’Zhay Chambers to slam the door. The senior got the strikeout and pop-up to seal the victory.
The biggest blow of the game came as Alexandria Beavers drilled a two-out, three-run bomb to left field in the fourth inning to give the Panthers the 7-2 lead.
WSSU took the early lead with a run in the first inning as the first two batters reached via a single and walk, and Alleshia Pullen scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Alycia Cunningham. Claflin quickly responded with three runs in its half of the first frame. It was Beavers once again in the middle of the ruckus with a two-run triple and then scored as the runner at first was caught stealing.
The Rams scored a run in the second, Claflin regained the two-run lead with a single run in the third, and the Claflin busted the game open on the aforementioned Beavers bomb. Beavers finished 2-for-5 with two runs scored, a triple, home run and five RBI.
Claflin’s Camryn Hollis added three hits for the Panthers.
Seven different Rams recorded hits with Alexis Smith leading the way, going 2-for-3 with a double and run scored. Smith went the distance in the circle, allowing seven earned runs on 10 hits in six innings.
Shaniya Thomas earned the victory in relief, yielding just one earned run on five hits over 4 1/3 innings. Chambers earned her second save of the season by getting the final two outs of the game.
#2 Virginia State 10, #3 Bowie State 5 FINAL
In the second of two semifinals, Virginia State defeated Bowie State, 10-5, in seven innings at the 2022 CIAA Softball Championship at RF+P Park in Glen Allen, VA.
The Trojans jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the bottom of the second thanks to a two-run single by Alaijah Pratt followed by a two-run double from Nia Hall.
Bowie State would rally in the top of the fourth with five runs, including a two-run triple by Aseyah Alexander, to make it a 7-5 game. In the bottom of the fourth, a two-run homer by Pratt would give VSU a 9-4 lead.
Hall would add another score on a wild pitch in the bottom of the sixth to give VSU a 10-5 lead.
Hall and Samantha Cunningham, who registered a pair of doubles, each went 3-for-4 from the plate to lead the Trojans in hits. Pratt drove in a team-high four runs while going 2-for-4 from the plate.
Alexander led BSU with two hits and two RBIs while six other Bulldogs registered a hit.
Pitcher Desmyn Owens pitched a complete game, giving up five runs and eight hits, but secured the win to advance the Trojans, who advances to face #1 Claflin in the winner’s bracket.
Bowie State will fall to loser’s bracket to face Winston-Salem State in an elimination game.
#1 Claflin 5, #2 Virginia State 2 FINAL
The top two seeds in the 2022 CIAA Softball Championship squared off in the winner’s bracket with no. 1 Claflin defeating no. 2 Virginia State, 5-2, to advance to the championship round.
After two scoreless innings, CU struck first in the bottom of the third with sacrifice fly from Jaelyn Jackson that drove in a run followed by an RBI double from Marion Goins.
The Panthers added three more runs led by an RBI double from Kyra Shuler that drove in Kennedy Baskerville.
In the top of sixth, Virginia State got a spark when All-Conference performer Samantha Cunningham blasted a two-run homer to cut their deficit to three, but Trojans couldn’t muster up any additional scoring.
CIAA Pitcher of the Year Bre’Zhay Chambers pitched a complete game with an impressive 12 strikeouts and just one walk. Chambers forced a pop out and struck out the final two batters to close out the game for the Panthers.
Camryn Hollis went 3-for-4 to lead the Panthers in hitting while Brenay Howard delivered two hits, including a double, and was one of five CU players to score a run.
Cunningham led VSU with two runs batted in while six other Trojans also recorded a hit. All-Conference pitcher and All-Rookie selection Alaijah Pratt pitched six innings, giving up 10 hits and striking out a pair of batters.
The Panthers advance to their second conference title game in as many seasons and will await the winner of Saturday’s elimination game between Bowie State and Virginia State at 11 a.m. Game time for the championship game is set for 2 p.m.
#3 Bowie State 11, #4 Winston-Salem State 4 FINAL
The reigning tournament champions have been eliminated as Bowie State stayed alive with an 11-4 win over Winston-Salem Saturday Friday in the loser’s bracket game.
Bowie State advances to face Virginia State 11 a.m. Saturday after the Trojans fell in the winner’s bracket final to Claflin.
The Bulldogs took advantage of three WSSU errors to take the 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Turnabout was fair play in the top of the fourth inning as the Rams pushed three errors, all on the same play, which enabled three runs to cross the plate and have the tying run on third with no outs.
WSSU didn’t get the run across as it was cut down at the plate following a groundout.
Bowie State immediately retaliated with three runs of its own in the bottom portion of the frame. The first three Bulldogs reached, and then BSU pushed across a run on a wild pitch, a sacrifice fly, and an error. They added a single run in the fifth and three more in the sixth.
Lindsey George dazzled at the plate and in the circles for Bowie State. She was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI while picking up the victory – allowing four runs, three earned, on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings. Haley Bivens, who relieved George in the circle, had a three-run double in the sixth inning. She allowed one hit in 1 1/3 innings.
Alexis Smith and Angelina Garcia were both 2-for-4 with a run scored for Winston-Salem State. Alycia Cunningham was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Makayla Brown had the lone two RBI for the Rams.