DAHLONEGA, Ga. – Augusta State dropped a 1-0 heartbreaker to North Georgia Sunday afternoon in the NCAA Southeast Dahlonega Regional at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium.
The 11th-ranked and top-seeded Saints (48-8) captured the regional title for the fourth consecutive year and will host fellow Peach Belt Conference-member Flagler next weekend in the NCAA Southeast Super Regional.
The Jaguars, the fourth-seeded team for the regional, closed out their season at 33-18. The contest marked the final game for seven seniors, including Kacee Camp, Kristen Jones, Jessica Thornton, Emily Headrick, Heather Hughes, Kaitlin Harris and Renae Kimbell.
ASU finished runnerup in the regional for the second straight year and for the third time in the last four years to North Georgia.
ASU's Headrick (18-7) was equally effective in going the distance. She surrendered only five hits in 6.0 innings with three strikeouts and a walk. The only run of the game was an unearned run in the first inning.
"I thought it was a good game," said ASU head coach Melissa Mullins. "Take away the first inning where we had a couple of errors and we're still in the ball game. I thought it was just an amazing effort by Jessica (Coan). She's an amazing pitcher – she has been her entire career here. It was just good all the way around and a good fun game for the fans."
Camp, Jones and freshman second baseman Hannah Vaughn notched the only hits for the Jags. Camp's one-out double in the third inning represented ASU's last base runner of the game.
The Saints scored the only run of the game in the first inning. Pillar Harden reached on a leadoff single before being erased on Rochelle Shuman's fielder's choice. Hillary Cox lined a single to left-center and when the ball got away from ASU's Laura Brown, Shuman took third. Brown's throw to the infield was off the mark and Shuman was safe on a play at the plate.
For the latest news, stats and video from the NCAA Southeast Region, visit the tournament central page at www.saintssports.com/tournament/2012softballregional/index.