APRIL 25, 2008 --- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

SMC Softball Going Into Region Tourney As No. 1 Seed
Lady Pioneers’ Are Ranked Nationally In Hitting, Pitching 

SPARTANBURG, SC -- The Spartanburg Methodist College Lady Pioneers softball team claimed the No. 1 seed in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Region X softball tournament on Wednesday with a doubleheader sweep of Florence-Darlington Tech Stingers.

The Lady Pioneers (24-2,31-10) won the region's regular season title by posting a set of 5-3, 8-0 wins over the Stingers, with nationally ranked pitchers Brittany Scoggins, of Boiling Springs, SC, and Chelsi Edwards, of Inman, SC, shutting down the Stingers’ offense.

Scoggins pitched seven strikeouts in game one, with Edwards following up with the same in the five-inning game two.

Sophomore Amber Hartley, of Batesburg, SC, led the Pioneers in runs, scoring one in the first game and following that up with three in the second.

Both Scoggins and Edwards ended the regular season as the top two statistical leaders in Region X, with both ranked in the Top 25 nationally in strikeouts per game.

"I suspected this team could do well in the regular season based on our fall performance. As is the nature of fastpitch softball the teams with strong pitching do well," says Pauly.

The Region X Tournament will be held May 2-4 in Hartsville, SC, with the NJCAA National tournament May 15-18 in Plant City, FL. SMC has received an automatic first-round bye in the double-elimination Region X tournament.

The Lady Pioneers started off 2007-2008 with a competitive scrimmage schedule in the fall, during which they defeated six National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II teams and tied three.

Their only region losses during the spring season were to Louisburg and Aiken Technical College.

The team ended the regular season ranked No. 44 nationally in hitting at a .328 clip. Seven players are hitting higher than a .300 for the season, led by freshman Laura Trout, who is ranked No. 26 nationally with a .492 average.

"Our defense has improved steadily all year, but in the last 10 games our bats really came alive. All phases of our game have come together in the last half of the season and we are planning to continue that in the Region X tourney and gain our region qualifying bid to the JUCO Nationals," adds Pauly. 

The Lady Pioneers go into the Region X tournament with a .932 fielding percentage, led by Hartley, who, at the catcher's position, had only error on the entire season.  

“We are all extremely proud of what these ladies have accomplished this season. They’ve shown everyone the SMC softball is back to prominence in the region and have really stepped up to the plate as stellar student-athletes, both on and off the field,” says SMC Athletic Director Mark Perdue. 

“We’ve come a long way in recent years with Rick Pauly leading the Lady Pioneers softball team. His great attitude toward coaching and his aggressive recruiting are an asset to our athletics program,” Perdue adds. 

Spartanburg Methodist College has 14 intercollegiate teams that compete in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association, which includes colleges in the Carolinas, Virginia, and West Virginia.  

The College is in its 97th year of providing a quality education to students in a Christian environment. More than 90 percent of SMC graduates continue their education at other institutions of higher learning. 

For more information, contact softball coach Rick Pauly at (864) 237-1253 or Athletic Director Mark Perdue at (864) 587-4237.

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