FLORENCE, SC – Coker advanced to the CVAC Championship Game Sunday afternoon but for a second time in two days the Cobras fell to Belmont Abbey in collegiate softball.  The Crusaders earn their first CVAC Championship with a 3-2 victory over Coker at the Freedom Florence Softball Complex and earn the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals.  The Cobras won their first game of the day 5-0 over St. Andrews to reach the final and finish the season at 36-16.

Coker led the game off with a pair of singles by sophomores Christan Morabito/Charlotte, NC and Amy Shelley/Marion, SC and went on top 2-0 on a double by senior Kaylene Fountain/Spokane, WA.  Belmont Abbey went down in order in the bottom of the first but scraped together a run in the second inning to pull within one run at 2-1. 

In the third the Crusaders struck again with senior Jen VanGundy stepping up with runners in scoring position.  VanGundy singled to score Juleigh Soloman and Leigh Carter from second and third which proved to be the game winning runs.  From their pitcher Keri Blackwelder ran through the Coker batting order with precision and delivered a title to the Abbey.

Fountain went the distance for Coker, allowing seven hits and three earned runs in the game.  She was the only Cobra batter to get two hits and drove in two runs as well.

In Coker’s first game of the day sophomore Amanda Shelton shut out a pesky St. Andrews club with a complete game four hitter.  Shelton struck out five batters and allowed only one walk in the contest to win her sixth game of the season. 

Shelley went 2-3 with a run scored in the game and senior Summer Joyner/Andrews, SC hit a two-run blast that cleared the center field fence by 20 feet.  Sophomore Brandi Holder/Durham, NC went 2-4 with two RBI, and Shelton also went 2-4 and drove in one run.