Tuesday, March 18, 2003

ROCK HILL, S.C. (March 18, 2003) - East Tennessee State's softball team was declared co-champions of the 24-team Winthrop/Ringor Invitational this past weekend. The Buccaneers carried a 3-0 overall record in the tournament with wins over Hartford, St. John's, and Michigan State before the event was cancelled due to rain. ETSU will share the crown with four other schools - College of Charleston, Providence, UNC Greensboro, and UNC Wilmington. Buccaneer junior Sheryl Clark (Bradenton, Fla.) and sophomore Mary Beth Hazelwood (Knoxville, Tenn) were named to the all-tournament team. ETSU was the only school to have more than one member represented on the nine-person squad. Clark knocked in three RBIs and hit a homerun versus Hartford in game one, and followed it up with a 2-for-3 performance against Michigan State, including a three-run blast in a come-from-behind victory over the Spartans, 9-6. Hazelwood went 2-for-3 at the plate versus Hartford, and had an outstanding defensive effort against St. John's as the shortstop tallied five assists and five putouts, as the Buccaneers shutout the Red Storm 2-0. ETSU will be in action again on Wednesday, Mar. 19, when the Bucs travel to Radford for a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.