Jeremy Cotham

MONTCLAIR, N.J. – In their first game at the NCAA Div. III Softball World Series, the Patriots seemed to be rolling along smoothly.

That is, until the bottom of the sixth inning.

The Patriots gave up five runs in the inning to eventually drop a 5-1 decision to Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) in the opening round game.

MARSHALL – The Patriots softball team is going to the World Series for the first time ever, but it did not come easy.

After winning all four games this weekend by one run (three of those in extra innings) at the NCAA Div. III West Regional Tournament, the Patriots finally celebrated on the field and accomplished team goal number two out of three.

The first goal: A conference championship. Goal two: The regional championship. Goal three: the national championship.

IRVING – The Patriots battled through two tough games on Friday in the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament, winning them both by scores of 1-0 and 2-0.

In the first game against East Texas Baptist University, the Patriots won 1-0 thanks in part to a complete game shutout performance by Stacy Shepherd, who went the entire way, throwing 109 pitches, giving up only four hits and no runs.

In game two, Shepherd went again, this time going 6 2/3 innings, throwing 115 pitches and recording the 2-0 win over Louisiana College.

The Patriots play at noon on Saturday against the

The Patriots track and field teams travel to Clinton, Miss on Saturday to participate in the 2009 American Southwest Conference meet.

This is the second conference meet ever for the program and coach Bob Hepler said he hopes this meet will not only bring experience to the team, but give some players a chance to qualify for the national meet in May.

“We have legitimate long-distance runners on the men’s side that have a great chance to win some races at the conference meet. These runners are the strength of this entire program,” Hepler said. “Also, our throwers and jumpers on both men and women are really coming along and doing well here lately.”

For the second time this season, East Texas Baptist University swept the University softball team (2-1 and 14-9) to improve to 4-0 on the year against the Patriots.

On Tuesday night in game one of the doubleheader, it was pitching duel between Lady Tigers’ Alicia Wright and Patriots’ Kelsey Ainsworth that led to an ETBU win.

Both pitchers went the full seven innings with Wright giving up one earned run in the seventh and Ainsworth giving up two runs, one in the third and the other in the fifth. However, the ETBU run scored in the fifth was unearned.

On Friday night, the No. 1 ranked Patriots found out that the race for the American Southwest Conference East Division just got harder.

The Patriots softball team is now the unanimous No. 1 team in the nation.

This “team of stars,” which is the motto of the 2009 season, is off to a fast start with a record of 19-1 after going 43-9 last season and advancing to the NCAA West Regional Tournament, where they fell three wins shy of going to the World Series.

Coach Mike Reed looks at his roster and says this might be the deepest team he has ever coached.

[caption id="attachment_1438" align="alignright" width="210" caption="Outfielder Julie Smith sprints for the next base.

Down 48-34 just three minutes into the second half on Saturday at Mississippi College, coach Kenny Bizot called a timeout.

He challenged his team, especially his seniors, to step up and told them that it is now or never.

“We cut it to four by half, then we let them go back up 14 and I had to call the timeout,” Bizot said. “I reminded the guys in the huddle that we had to have this win if we wanted to go to the playoffs.

RICHARDSON – In their last home game of the season, the No. 22 nationally ranked Lady Comets were not about to let the Patriots come into their place and pull off the upset.