COLUMBUS, GA-Lacey Gardner scattered five hits and allowed just one unearned run in leading Kennesaw State to a 7-1 win over Bloomsburg University at the NCAA Division II Softball Championships in Columbus, GA. The loss eliminated the Huskies from the Championships.

The Owls, who beat Bloomsburg in the 1995 NCAA championship game, reached the Huskies for three runs in the top of the first inning. Krissy Bamford led off with a single and was sacrificed to second. Audra Thomas, the Division II Catcher of the Year, then followed with an RBI-double scoring Bamford. Christine Hochdorfer then singled to left with the Huskies' Vanessa Sterner bobbling the ball, sending Thomas to third and Hochdorfer to second. Nikki Scholer then doubled to left center with two runs coming across for the Owls.

Bloomsburg got one back in the third when Tanya Heath reached on a throwing error by Gardner. Erica Miller then plated Heath with a double to the gap in left center. Sterner then singled to left, but Miller was thrown out at the plate trying to score.

Kennesaw had a big scoring opportunity come up empty in the bottom of the third. The Owls loaded the bases with two outs, but the Huskies escaped any damage when Michele Dreistadt made a sliding catch on a short pop to center.

The Owls broke the game open with four runs in the bottom of the fourth. Kennesaw took advantage of three Bloomsburg errors in the inning along with four hits to score four times. Kristen Bell had an RBI-double and Janna Maughon an RBI-single for the big hits in the inning.

Bloomsburg managed to get only one baserunner on in the final two innings with Gardner striking out five of the final six batters.

Bloomsburg coach Jan Hutchinson was disappointed with the finish.

"I thought we could have played with more intensity today," said Hutchinson. "We made too many mistakes and could not overcome a big deficit."

The Huskies finish the year with a mark of 49-12-1 and were one of the final four teams playing this season.

NCAA Softball Championships

Bloomsburg 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 5 4

Kennesaw State 3 0 0 4 0 0 x 7 10 1

Pitching

WP-Lacey Gardner, 7 IP, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K

LP-Kerri Cooper, 0.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Julie Undercuffler, 5.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

Batting

BU-Lisa Mull, 2-2; Erica Miller, 1-3, double, RBI

KSU-Krissy Bramford, 2-4, 2 RS; Chris Hochdorfer, 3-3, 2 RS; Nikki Scholer, 1-3, 2 RBI