Box Score: Park 7 – Bellevue 6

Head coach Amy Reif and Assistant Coach Steve Tingler led the Pirates to its first National Tournament in its programs history.

BELLEVUE, Neb. – With a 7-6 victory over Bellevue University on Friday afternoon at Sigler Field, Park University has qualified for its first trip to the NAIA National Tournament in its programs history and has been crowned the 2009 MCAC Tournament Champions.

Park will now compete against 31 other teams in the 2009 NAIA National Tournament in Decatur, Ala. on May 14-20.

The victory gave Park a 26-11 overall record and ended Bellevue’s season who finished the season with a record of 29-13.

In her fourth year at Park head coach Amy Reif has not only been the first coach to qualify a Pirate squad to the National Tournament but is also the all-time wins leader at Park with an overall record of 85-81.

“I’m really proud of the way we fought back this week and never let down,” Reif said. “I’m also so happy for the seniors, they really helped develop this program to what it is today. Now we are just looking forward to playing in our first National Tournament.”

Park jumped all over Bellevue in the top of the second inning scoring four runs, and bringing its lead to 5-0.

Kristen Hansen came up to the plate with the bases loaded and ripped a double to left field driving in three runs. Jamie Garman came up next and drove in Hansen with single.

In the bottom of the second inning Bellevue responded in a big way scoring five runs of their own to tie up the ball game with a grand slam from MCAC Player of the Year Jordann Ellis.

Park scored one more in the third inning to go up 6-5 and Bellevue answered back with a run in the fourth. Both teams went scoreless in the fifth and Park scored the game winning run in the top of the sixth with an RBI double from freshman Jennifer Cordell.

MCAC Freshman of the Year Justine Riner shut down the Bruins in the seventh inning to pick up her third win in two days. Riner also picked up the win in Park’s 7-2 victory over College of Saint Mary on Friday and the Pirates 5-2 win over Bellevue on Friday.

For all information regarding this year’s NAIA National Tournament please visit www.parkathletics.com.

-PARK-