Baylor nips Lady Pirates for regional title

From staff and electronic reports
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East Carolina's freshman-dominated softball team played No. 11 national seed Baylor to a scoreless standoff on Sunday until Baylor's Holly Hill rapped a double in the top of the sixth to drive in Megan Turk for the game's only run as the Lady Bears claimed the championship of the College Park Regional.

The outcome wasn't settled without some last-inning drama. Lady Bears pitcher Whitney Canion (27-9) was within one out of a no-hitter when East Carolina's Rebecca Lee, a freshman, walked and freshman Mahrisch Medina followed with a single to put the tying and winning runs on base. But Canion, a sophomore, retired sophomore Cicely Lopez on a groundout to end the threat.

Canion's shutout was her third straight in the regional. She muffled Lehigh 4-0 on Friday and blanked the Lady Pirates 2-0 on Saturday.

East Carolina pitcher Toni Paisley (32-13) gave up only five hits in taking the loss. The senior from Lakewood, CA, made some marks of her own in the regional, picking up wins over host Maryland on Friday and Saturday to help the Lady Pirates (41-22) reach championship Sunday.

Paisley, the No. 10 pick in the National Pro Fastpitch Draft in March, ended her college career with 118 wins and 1,290 strikeouts, both Conference USA records. Her win and strikeout totals are 18th and 17th, respectively, in NCAA Division I history.

Baylor (43-12) will now travel to the Athens, GA, Super Regional to challenge No. 6 seed Georgia (50-12) next Saturday and Sunday. The winner of that best two-of-three series advances to the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.

East Carolina coach Tracey Kee will turn her focus to putting in place a plan to guide her youthful team to a third straight C-USA championship and another postseason run in 2012. Eight of the Lady Pirates' starters in the regional title showdown against Baylor were freshmen.

PAGE UPDATED 05/23/11 04:40 AM.

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