ALBANY, Ga. - With their backs to the wall, Spring Hill's softball team mounted a sixth inning rally to erase a two-run deficit and defeat Kentucky State, 5-3, in the Winner's Bracket finale of the 2019 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Softball Championship. Earlier in the day, the Badgers reached the final game of the winner's bracket by defeating Lane 8-0 (5).

The Badgers will now play in the championship game Saturday morning at 11 a.m. here at the Gordon Sports Complex. SHC will face the winner of the contest between Kentucky State and Tuskegee. If SHC loses the 11 a.m. game, there will be an if-necessary game at 2 p.m. for all the marbles.

"I'm not going to say I'm proud of them yet because we still have goals we want to accomplish, but this was a big win to put us in a great position," said SHC head softball coach Steve Kittrell. "This is their first conference tournament at this level, and they've responded really well."

Trailing 3-1 entering the home half of the sixth, the Badgers sent 10 batters to the plate, scoring four to take the lead. The inning started when Delaney Thomas hit a rope back through the middle between the pitcher's feet for a single. Hannah Fillmore then followed with a double that bounced inside the bag at third to put the tying runs in scoring position. Catcher Aly Fowler would be hit by a pitch one batter to put the go-ahead run on base with no one out.

Caroline Hart would draw a walk with the bases loaded to plate Thomas and pull the Badgers within a run. Carlisle Jamison then hit a chopper to short that would eliminate Hart at second, but Fillmore scored with the tying run. Morgan Kramer then came through with one of the biggest hits of her young career, singling to right to plate pinch runner Brittany Hartung, giving the Badgers a 4-3 lead. 

"I just had a lot of confidence in myself," Kramer said. "I saw my teammates getting hits, so I just got up there, did my job, and put the ball back where it came from."

"Morgan's been struggling at the plate, but the last couple of games she's played, she's squared the ball up well," Coach Kittrell said. "I was extremely proud for her."

After a walk to Kaycie Saxton, Elise Caruso would ground out to short, plating Jamison to make it 5-3.

From there, Baylie Doiron would retire the side in order in the nith. In all, Doiron (5-8) went three innings in relief of Hannah Brenton, allowing three hits and a walk while striking out two to earn the win for the Badgers.

"Baylie hasn't pitched a lot lately, but I was so proud of her and the effort she gave and the control she had especially," said Coach Kittrell. "We call the last three innings of the game the business end of the game, and they responded in the business end against a very good pitcher."

The home run ball would hurt SHC in the early going. Jackie Zubiate would connect for a two-run home run in the top of the first to give Kentucky State a 2-0 lead. Fowler scored Thomas with a hit in the first, but KSU would get a home run by Jittaun Thompson to regain a two-run lead, 3-1. Paola Flores would keep SHC at bay until the sixth inning and the heroics of the Badgers.

"It was in the back of my mind that it's hard to beat a team four times in a row," Coach Kittrell said. "They're such a good team. They're well-coached. They've got some good hitters and a really good pitcher. But, our girls really responded."

Spring Hill advanced to the winner's bracket finale with an 8-0 (5) victory over a Lane squad that handed the Badgers their only two losses in SIAC West play during the regular season.

Brenton - the SIAC Starting Pitcher of the Year - went to 14-5 on the season with her second complete-game shutout of the tournament. The sophomore allowed just four hits while walking one and fanning three in the victory.

The Badgers took full advantage of an error by Lane to plate three runs in the second. With Fowler on second and Jamison on first with two out in the inning, Saxton reached when a throw across the diamond was high to first. Fowler would score on the error to give the Badgers the lead.

One batter later, Caruso came up with one of the bigger hits of the game for the Badgers. Her double to the fence in left-center scored Saxton and Jamison to stretch the SHC lead to 3-0.

"Lane plays really good ball," said Coach Kittrell. "I'm just glad we jumped off to a lead to get some momentum going."

Brenton earned the shutout, but wouldn't have done so if not for strong pitching and defense in the top of the third. With two Dragons in scoring position and only one out, Brenton caught a break when the next Lane batter was called for being out of the batter's box. Lane's Kyra Reed then hit a sharp one-hopper back up the middle that was snared by Brenton, who tossed to first to end the threat.

After the scare in the top of the inning, the Badgers padded the lead in the bottom half. With Thomas on first after a leadoff walk, Fowler bounced a shot up the middle, and when the shortstop dove for the ball, the ball skittered into right-center off the shortstop's arm. Thomas would move to third on the play, with Fowler moving to second on the throw home to keep Thomas at bay.

Lanae Davis would pinch run at second for Fowler, and would soon move up to third as Caroline Davis singled back up the middle to score Thomas and move Davis to third. Jamison would then send a ground ball deep in the hole at short that the shortstop that would go for an infield hit, scoring Davis to make it 5-0.

Lane threatened again in the top of the fifth, getting two runners in scoring position with two out. This time, it was Fillmore's glove and arm that were put to the test as the shortstop fielded a tough grounder, then fired across to first to get Lane's speedy leadoff batter, ending the inning.

In the bottom of the frame, the Badgers brought an end to the contest. Fillmore started the inning with a single down the line in left. After a sacrifice bunt put Fillmore in scoring position, Hart and Jamison each walked to load the bases with just one out. Daniella Amador would pinch hit and draw the third straight walk issued to SHC batters, pushing Fillmore home to make it 6-0. Saxton would then hit a grounder to short. The throw went home, but Hart was able to beat the throw to make it 7-0, giving Saxton an RBI.

Needing one more run to wrap up the win, the Badgers were able to get it done. Elise Caruso hit a ground ball to second, and the throw would come home to try to eliminate Jamison; however, the ball was dropped at home by the catcher, allowing Jamison to score to give the Badgers the 8-0 win in five innings.