SHIPPENSBURG, PA (May 16, 2022) – The Claflin Lady Panthers (23-15) gave a spectacular effort, but the team came up short in an 11-0 loss to the Seton Hill Griffins (39-10). The Lady Panthers played a solid game, but the team could overcome some costly struggles at the plate and in the field in the hard-fought loss.
As to be expected of a regional championship game, hits were hard to come by for the Lady Panthers. As a team, Claflin was held to just five hits, including no extra base hits. Senior second base Jada Garrick led the Lady Panthers’ effort with a two-for-three performance.
In the early going, defense was the name of the game for both teams as neither team scored a run until the fourth inning when an RBI single left the Lady Panthers trailing 0-1. The fifth inning was a challenging one for the Lady Panthers as the team allowed three more runs to the Griffins. Claflin was able to stop the scoring in the sixth inning, but the team was not able to get any runs of their own on the scoreboard. In the top of the seventh inning, the Lady Panthers allowed seven runs to the Griffins and fell behind 0-11. Unfortunately, the Lady Panthers would not be able to plate any runs as they ended the day and their season with the hard-fought loss.
Claflin senior Bre’Zhay Howard (10-6) started the game and took the pitching loss. She started the game and she finished the game with four runs allowed (four earned) on eight hits with a strikeout and only two walks. Fellow senior Shaniya Thomas closed out the game, throwing three innings and finishing with seven runs allowed (four earned) on four hits with four walks.
With the loss, the Lady Panthers finish the 2022 season with a 23-15 overall record. The season was an historic one for the Lady Panthers as they reached the championship game of the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Tournament for the first time in school history and set a school record for NCAA tournament victories.
For more information on Lady Panthers softball, contact the Claflin University Office of Athletics Media Relations at (803) 535-5548 or log on to www.athletics.claflin.edu.