SCAD Softball came to a close this afternoon in Clermont, Florida.  All who had followed the Lady Bees this season had hoped for a storybook ending for a team that on April 7 stood on top of the world with a 19-2 overall record, and 7-1 in conference play.  But since that day, the Bees went 4-9, and lost 6 of 9 conference games.  They finished a respectable 23-10 overall, but there were higher hopes.

It is a bitter pill to swallow.  The Lady Bees were good.  They were better than good  They showed signs of greatness and everyone who saw them play knew that they could play with anybody on any given day.  But today was not one of those days.  The Bees lost two games in eight hours and it broke our hearts.  They played their hearts out, but the end result was a loss that was unparalleled in season play. 

SCAD had played Warner twice during the season and had won both games.  It was an interesting scenario in that Warner was the first team that scored more than 4 runs against SCAD in their first 15 competions.  They scored 6 in a losing game to SCAD.  Only two teams since had matched the 6 run output that the Royals had achieved.  But it was a different day today.

Game Results

The first inning foreshadowed a day when offense, not pitching dominated.  With two outs and nobody on against SCAD ace, Sydnee Schorr, the Royals went on the offensive.  A double, a hit-by-pitch, and two out-of-the-normal wild pitches, put runners on second and third.  It went further downhill from there.  The next Warner hitter tripled.  The following hitter singled and the Royals were up 3-0.

SCAD could not score in their half.  In the Royals second inning a Bees' error, a double, a single, and a fielder's choice accounted for two more runs.  The Royals were up 5-0.  In the fifth inning Warner added one more run to make it 6-0.

Finally, SCAD struck for a run in their half of the fifth.   Nirana Singh and Kylie Rash opened the frame with singles.  An error and a stolen base put them at second and third with no outs.  Jessaca Spears came through with a sacrifice fly to score SCAD's first run.  We hoped for more, but that was all we got.  The score was 6-1, but there was a glimmer of hope.

That disappeared in the sixth.  The Warriors scored four more.  It was beginning to sink in.  The score was 10-1 with two innings to play.  SCAD scored a total of  five runs in the sixth and seventh.  That would have been a good sign if the Royals had not scored an additional 5 of their own in their seventh inning.  It was too much to hope for a ten-run last inning. 

The final score was 15-6.  But after the final out was made there need not be tears.  The Bees are a great team - not because of their record, but because of who they are.  They have character.  The Sun Conference knew it when they gave the Bees the Champions of Character award.  Sure they have talent, but oh how they played, knowing a season in advance that this would be their swan song.  They gave us the best that they could give.  And that was enough for everyone who saw them play.  Terri Knecht deserved the honor of The Sun Conference Coach of the Year.  She did a fantastic job with fantastic talent.  Not too many teams can say that.  But we can.  Thank you SCAD Softball.  You did us proud.