5/16/19

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (May 14, 2019) – The No. 12 Truett McConnell University softball team, No. 2-seeded in the NAIA opening round, fell to the No. 4-seeded University of the Rio Grande (1-0) to complete their 2019 season in the Lawrenceville Bracket at Georgia Gwinnett College. TMU ended the year with an overall record of 42-11, 24-2 AAC.

The Red Storm earned the lone run of the game in the top of the third off a single through the hole at shortstop (0-1). The closest the Lady Bears got to scoring was in the bottom of the fifth when junior Jaden Morrisonattempted a squeeze bunt to drive home freshman Alicia Price from third, but Morrison was put out at first. TMU’s first and only hit of the game came in the bottom of the seventh when junior Liz Bunton led off with a single to right-center field.

Karley Hobbs, the back-to-back Appalachian Athletic Conference pitcher of the year, was given the loss throwing a complete game of seven hits, one earned run and one strikeout. Hobbs completed her sophomore campaign with an overall ERA of 1.21 while also holding her opponents to a batting average of .194. Hobbs also ranks number four in the country in wins (29).

Morrison, an All-AAC second team member, finished her junior campaign leading the Lady Bears from the plate with an overall batting average of .437 while AAC freshman of the year and an All-AAC first team member, Briley Lawson, followed with an overall batting average of .354 with 10 homeruns.

TMU’s 2019 season was the second straight year the team recorded 40 wins, won the AAC regular season and earned an automatic bid to the NAIA national tournament. The highest the Lady Bears were ranked in the NAIA national top 25 was No. 11, which is the highest any TMU program has ever been ranked.