Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

BOTEBOURT, Va. – The Union University softball team captured the 2013 National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Softball National Title Saturday. Union knocked off fellow Gulf South Conference foe and the defending NAIA National Champion Shorter (Ga.) University 4-1 to claim the title.
 
Six-seeded Union entered the championship day as the lone unbeaten team. Union lost the first championship game 1-0 to top-seeded Shorter, who needed to beat Union twice. Union responded with a 4-1 victory in the 'if necessary' championship game to secure the title.
 
For Union, this is the fourth NCCAA Softball National Title in school history (2001, 2002, 2004, 2013). Union also has NCCAA National titles in volleyball (2003) and men's soccer (2004). This season, Union's men's golf team finished runner-up in the national tournament, while the women's basketball team and men's soccer team posted third place finishes.
 
In the championship clinching win, Union jumped on top early by way of the long ball. Jackson native and former Trinity Christian standout Summer Cross put Union on the board with a solo home run in the top of the second inning. In the third, Shelbyville, Tenn. native Shelby Lamb added an RBI single to score Sam Giesler, giving Union a 2-0  lead.
 
That score stood until the sixth when Union added two more runs. Lamb hit her team-leading ninth home run over the left field fence to put Union up 3-0, followed later in the inning by an RBI double from Carter Mansolino, scoring Reagan Schrader.
 
Kelly Robey (14-9) did the rest, allowing just three hits, one unearned run, and striking out eight batters to give her team the win.
 
Union was led offensively by Lamb and Mansolino with two hits each. Lamb led with two RBI.
 
In the first game of the day for Union, Shorter scratched out a single run in the bottom of the sixth inning to force the second game with a 1-0 victory. Brooke Thomas (11-11) took the hard-luck loss, allowing just the one run on four hits. Union managed just three hits in the game.
 
Union finishes the year with a 28-21 record. Union ended the season winning seven of their last eight games. In those game games, Union outscored their opponents 27-3. In the eight games, Union tossed five shutouts and allowed just one run in three games.
 
Robey was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, going 3-0 with three complete games and one shutout in the tournament. In 21 tournament innings, she allowed just two runs, one earned with 27 strikeouts. She defeated top-seed Shorter (Ga.), second seed Central Baptist (Ark.), and fourth seeded Simpson (Calif.). Joining Robey on the all-tournament team from Union are Tobie Joy, Shelby Lamb, and Brooke Thomas.
 
2013 NCCAA National All-Tournament Team
Morgan Davis – Simpson
Jessica Sheldon – Central Baptist
Victoria Decker – Campbellsville
Brianna DiGioia - Judson
Sarah Boyer – Judson
Christina Ezell – Shorter
Whitney Hood – Shorter
Felicia Morris – Shorter
Tobin Joy – Union
Shelby Lamb – Union
Brooke Thomas – Union
Kelly Robey – Union (MVP of the Tournament)
 
#UNION#