The Salina Journal

GULF SHORES, Ala. -- Amanda Fama hit a grand slam and drove in five runs in leading No. 1-ranked Concordia, Calif., to an 8-2 victory over Bethany in the NAIA softball tournament Friday.

The loss leaves the Swedes (44-9) with an 0-2 record in Pool A. They will play Talladega, Ala., at 1 p.m. today in their final game of the tournament.

Concordia (56-3) took control in the top of the third inning, scoring five runs -- four on Fama's homer over the center field fence on a 1-2 count.

Concordia made it 8-0 with three runs in the fifth, the first on Fama's sacrifice bunt.

Bethany scored its first run in the bottom of the fifth when Nicole Felker singled in Jensen Wolff from third.

Samantha McFall doubled and scored on Brittany Lewis' single in the seventh for Bethany's second run.

Starting pitcher Hollind Englert (16-3) gave up eight runs, seven earned, struck out two and walked two in five innings. Allison Ruicker pitched finished with two shutout innings, striking out none and walking one.

Courtney Young (13-0) pitched the first four innings for Concordia, allowing three hits, striking out two and walking none. Brittani McGue allowed two runs, struck out four and walked three over the final three innings.

Jamie Franco, Bethany's senior first baseman, had two of the Swedes' seven hits. They stranded 10 base runners.

"We competed a lot better today," Bethany coach Janice Esses said. "I'm proud of how we competed. We came out with a lot more energy and put the ball in play. We had some opportunities. A couple of key hits and we would have scored more runs.

"Hollind did a nice job. They had the big hit off of her but she did well. Ruicker did a good job, too, shutting them out the last two innings."