Dover (May 9, 2008) --- The Delaware State softball team has reached the MEAC Tournament championship game for the third time in five years after a 2-1 victory over defending champ Howard in Ormond Beach, Fla. this afternoon. The only unbeaten team remaining in the double-elimination tournament, the Hornets are one win away from their first league title. DSU will play Norfolk State for the league championship on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. If the Hornets lose that contest, a second game will be played at 3:30 p.m., with the winner taking home the championship trophy. Delaware State defeated the Spartans 7-6 in a second round tournament contest on Thursday.
In Friday's win over Howard, Brittney Ruark tossed a four-hit complete game, while Nicole Demers and Sha Tabor drove in third inning runs to supply the scoring. Ruark, a sophomore, improved to 14-10 on the season and 3-0 in the tournament. She allowed just one hit through the first four innings, while striking out four.
Delaware State scored all the runs it needed in the top of the third inning. Courtney Taylor singled to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice by Megan Lambertz. Taylor moved to third base on a ground out by Andrea Waters and scored the game's first run on a double to left by Demers. Tabor followed with a single to right field, scoring Demers to give the Hornets a 2-0 lead.
Ruark was breezing along until the sixth inning, when Howard put runners on second and first with none out. After the runners moved up a base on a ground out, Howard's Candice Tatum was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. The Bison scored their only run of the game when Courtney Young crossed the plate on Jessica Norwood's sacrifice fly to center. Ruark avoided further damage when Howard's Jennifer Bien-Amie grounded out to third to end the inning.
In the Howard's seventh inning, Ruark walked Brianne Gutierrez with one out. The Bison couldn't take advantage as Dale McNeal struck out and Young popped out to end the game.
Five players had one hit each for the Hornets. Demers and Waters each had a double for DSU's only extra base hits. Catcher JoJo Shields was 1-for-3 in the game, and is 7-for-11 (.640) with four RBI in three tournament contests.
Gutierrez was 2-for-3 at the plate for Howard.
Delaware State came up short in three previous MEAC championship game appearances, falling to Florida A&M in 1993 and 2006, and to Bethune-Cookman in 2004.
