Softball | 5/17/2002 3:13:00 PM

Box Score SALEM, Va. -- The Barry Buccaneers stampeded past the North Dakota State Bison 3-1 in 10 innings Friday during the elimination round (Game #5) of the 2002 NCAA Division II Softball Championship. The Buccaneers (44-14) advance in the tournament and will face the loser of game eight – either St. Mary's (Texas) or Bloomsburg (Pa.) -- Saturday at 2:30 p.m., while the Bison finish their season with a final record of 44-10.

The Buccaneers scored the game-winning runs in the top of the 10th inning with one out as sophomore Hillary Hamilton hit a single to right field scoring freshman Heather Hodges and junior KD Smith.

"I was just trying to hit the ball hard somewhere," Hamilton said. "She (Graham) had made a great pitch on the inside corner right before that and I laid off it because I knew if I hit it, it would have been a little ground ball. She came back with a pitch away and I just went with it into right."

Barry had tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the seventh. Junior Sarah White singled to lead off the inning and later scored on a bases-loaded walk to Hodges.

"This team just never gives up," Barry head coach Shelly Lis said. "We've faced so much this season and we've always come through it as a team. Today it was the bottom of the order getting us the run to stay in it and the top of the order came through with the runs to win. Everyone does their part."

Bucs' junior Geralyn Elam (32-5) went the distance on the mound, scattering seven hits and a walk with a career-high 19 strikeouts. She allowed one earned run.

"I'm just out there throwing what Carrie (Roberts, catcher) calls," Elam said. "She has faith in me to throw what she calls and I have faith in her to call the right pitch. We make a great team."

With the win, Elam ties the Susnhine State Conference record for wins in a season. She also moved past Missy Paterson (Coker, 1996-99) into sixth place in NCAA Division II history with 392 strikeouts on the season.

North Dakota State scored its lone run in the bottom of the first inning as junior Jessie Benson blooped a two-out single just past the reach of a diving Hodges at second base to score junior Jess Christensen to give the Bison the early 1-0 advantage.

Bison sophomore pitcher Lindsey Graham (29-6) also went the distance, allowing five hits and three earned runs with eight strikeouts.


Barry 3, North Dakota State 1 (May 17, 2002 at Salem, Va.)
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Barry............... 000 000 100 2 - 3 5 0 (44-14)
North Dakota State.. 100 000 000 0 - 1 7 4 (44-10)
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Pitchers: Barry - Elam. North Dakota State - Graham.
Win-Elam (32-5) Loss-Graham (29-6) T-2:21 A-315