FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Gary Holden, Sports Info. Director
(540) 365-4366

April 17, 2005


Ferrum Wins USA South Softball Tournament
Panthers Claim NCAA Tournament Automatic Bid

RALEIGH, NC -- The Ferrum College softball team won the 2005 USA South Athletic Conference Softball Tournament, held April 15-17 at Buffalo Creek Softball Complex in Raleigh, North Carolina.  In the process, the Panthers secured an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Ferrum parlayed its #6 seeding  into a tournament crown by downing #3 Peace College 3-2 April 15, #2 Greensboro College 2-0 April 16, and #1 Methodist College 7-4 also on April 16 to reach the title game.  Coach Vickie Van Kleeck's team then dispatched #5 Christopher Newport University 5-2 to win it's second league tournament crown in the past four years.  Ferrum won the 2002 tournament as well, which was the Dixie Conference Tournament at the time, and advanced to its first-ever NCAA Tournament.

Ferrum's USA South Tournament Games
April 15: Ferrum 3, Peace 2
April 16: Ferrum 2, Greensboro 0
April 16: Ferrum 7, Methodist 4
April 17: Ferrum 5, Christopher Newport 2

In the title game against CNU, sophomore Kim Cox (Gladys, Va./William Campbell) pitched a complete game, scattering eight over seven innings, allowing one earned run and striking out two batters.  Cox went 3-0 on the mound with a save in four tournament games, allowing just one earned run and two walks in 20 innings, while striking out 15 batters.  For her effort, Cox was named the USA South Tournament MVP.

Joining Cox on the All-Tournament team were freshman first baseman Krystal Ellis (Altavista, Va./Rustburg), senior second baseman Jami Reed (Danville, Va./Tunstall), freshman outfielder Mary Greenway (Roanoke, Va./Cave Spring), and junior outfielder Trica Moore (Appomattox, Va./Appomattox County).

Ferrum claims the USA South's automatic berth into the 2005 NCAA Division III Softball Tournament.  Regional tournaments will be announced by the NCAA later this week.  For more information, please contact the Ferrum College Sports Information Office at (540) 365-4306.
 

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