(Charleston, West Virginia)-The SUNY Canton softball team saw their season come to a close as they lost two games to 13th-ranked William Carey University in the NAIA qualifying Unaffiliated Conference Tournament in Charleston, West Virginia.
The Roos lost 10-0 and 22-0 and end their year at 13-7 while the Crusaders improved to 39-13 and will advance to the NAIA national tournament May 20-26.
SUNY Canton, the Sunrise Conference regular season and tournament champions, faced one of the top teams in the nation on Thursday as William Carey was ranked in the top 25 in the NAIA all year long and have appeared in the national tournament three straight years.
The Roos were held to just one hit in the opening game, a single by freshman Kirsten Skelly (Morristown, N.Y.).
In the second game Skelly, junior centerfielder Jenifer Shaw (Helendale, Calif.) and freshman second baseman Heather Lottie (Canton, N.Y.) all recorded singles for the Roos. Freshman catcher Colleen Rivers (Bay Shore, N.Y.) drew two walks.
Freshman pitcher Tina DeLuca (Fresh Meadows, N.Y.), the Sunrise Conference Rookie of the Year, took the loss in both games as she battled temperatures in the high 80s.
Tan Montgomery was 3-for-4 in the opener with a two-run homer and then went 6-for-6 with another home run and seven RBIs in the nightcap. Casey Alexander and Shayna Turner each had four hits in the game two.
Alyssa Boutwell was one of five pitchers that the Crusaders sent to the mound for both games and she struck out 12 batters in game one.