[Softball] CHAMPS! Softball Falcons Seal NAIA Tournament Berth with KCAC Championship win over Avila

Great Bend, Kan. – The Friends University Falcons captured their first KCAC Tournament championship since the 2013 season with a 4-1 victory over the Avila University Eagles today (May 5) at the Great Bend Sports Complex in Great Bend, Kan. In the process, the Falcons have clinched a berth into the NAIA National Tournament, set to begin May 13 at campus sites.

For first-year Friends head coach Suzanne Unruh, this is her second consecutive KCAC tournament title, as she guided Tabor College to both the regular season and postseason tourney championship last season.

"They were determined that's for sure!" Unruh said. "This team came to play today and not go home without a championship. I'm so proud of each and every one of the girls. They believed they could and so they did."

The Falcons left little doubt all weekend, sweeping all four games in the tourney, including two wins over top-seeded Avila along with a victory over the second-seeded McPherson College Bulldogs.

In today's championship win, Isabella Gonzalez (SR/Bakersfield, Calif.) again served as the table-setter, getting things started with a leadoff triple in the first inning and scoring the game's first run. Shelby Belloni (SR/Denver, Colo. ) kept things going with a walk and scored on an RBI groundout by Kylie Fox (SR/Wichita, Kan. ) to make it 2-0.

It remained a two-run Falcon lead until Mia Moreno hit a solo home run in the fourth inning to put Avila on the board.

But as has been the case throughout the Falcons' recent stretch of success, they had a quick answer and it was again Gonzalez serving as the sparkplug with a walk and scoring on a single by Fox.

The Falcons then added a big insurance run when Mackenzie Nichols (SR/Columbus, Ohio) drove home Belloni in the sixth with a single to push the lead to three runs.

That would be more than enough for Hali Walters (SO/Longmont, Colo.), who finished off her KCAC-leading 19th victory of the season. Walters allowed just the one run over seven innings in the circle, with six strikeouts and only one walk.

The Falcons (28-17) were bolstered by two hits apiece from Nichols, Kat Davis (FR/Keller, Texas) and Cassie Jones (SR/Erie, Colo. ).

Moreno went 2-of-3 for the Eagles (29-16), who will also advance to the NAIA tournament by virtue of winning the KCAC regular season championship.  

Over the duration of the tournament, Belloni led everyone with a .571 batting average, with Gonzalez stealing a league-high three bases.

The NAIA Tournament selection show is set for Tuesday (May 7) at 3 pm, in which the Falcons' opponent and game time will be revealed.

The Falcons will enter the NAIA tourney playing their best ball of the season, winners of eight straight games and 18 of 21 overall.