Snead State tops Crowder for first win at JUCO Softball World Series

The Snead State softball team made history Wednesday afternoon, topping Crowder by a score of 1-0 to pick up the program's first-ever win at the JUCO Softball World Series.

Like they have all season, the Parsons got key performances from standouts Madison Wright and Molly Pendley.

Wright, who tossed a complete game in the Parsons' 2-0 loss on Tuesday night, picked up the win Wednesday afternoon by blanking Crowder, holding them to just four hits, walking one, and fanning seven to earn her 24th win of the season. Through 13 innings of work in Yuma, Wright has fanned 13 batters, conceded just seven hits and two runs.

The Parsons got the game's lone run in the top of the first inning, and looked poised to post a big inning, but the defense of Crowder kept the damage to just one.

Blakely Burr led the game off with a single, followed by an Abigail Hornbuckle walk to put two on for Pendley, who delivered with an RBI single to center field, making it 1-0, and putting two Parsons on with no outs.

Burr paced the Parsons with three hits from the lead-off spot, as Snead out-hit Croweder by a 9-4 margin, while Hornbuckle added a pair of singles in addition to her walk.

Unfortunately for Snead, the next ball in play resulted in a double play, with a fielder's choice getting the out at second, then a runner getting thrown out at third, followed by a flyout to left to keep it 1-0.

That run proved enough for Wright, who held Crowder to just four singles, and was only threatened in the bottom of the fourth when they put two on with one out. Wright responded by fanning the next to batters to end the inning.

Following that threat, Snead allowed just one Crowder baserunner the rest of the game.

The win keeps the Parsons' season alive, and advanced them to Wednesday's next second elimination game where they faced off with Chattanooga State, who fell to No. 1 Florida SouthWestern by a 1-0 final as well in the second round of the winner's bracket.

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Story by RON BALASKOVITZ | The Sand Mountain Reporter

Photo by Russell Moore | Wallace State Hanceville