Farmville, Va. — Minutes before first pitch of the Big South Conference championship final, Campbell softball head coach Sharonda McDonald-Kelley instructed her players to look down at their wrist bands. The message read “CU-Sunday,” meaning go one step farther than last year and reach the NCAA regional final, leveling up the program to new heights.
Championship Sunday came earlier than expected – a win-or-go home elimination game against Longwood University with a trip to the NCAA Tournament on the line.
“We went out and decided we’re going to kamikaze it,” explained Sharonda McDonald-Kelley.“We’re going to leave it all on the field and we’re going to go for it.”
Facing a hostile road environment, the pressure of repeating as champions, and the urgency to build on a special season, Campbell silenced the distractions.
“We put ourselves in the position for moments like this, so we’re good,” said senior outfielder Claudia Ware. “Each time something happens, we get closer and closer and closer. And right now, we’re just playing for each other because we want nothing more than success.”
FIGHT FOR OUR LIVES
Campbell entered the Big South Tournament with no players selected on the First Team All-Big South Conference. It was a unit that had to replace multiple starters from the 2021 championship squad, while overcoming the loss of Big South preseason Player of the Year, Bri Bryant, to a season-ending knee injury back in March.
Despite all that, Campbell entered the conference tournament tied with USC Upstate and Longwood by sharing the regular season title at an identical 21-6 record.
The Fighting Camels quest for back-to-back titles started against its two toughest foes, scoring five runs in an opening round win over Longwood, then roughed up Big South Pitcher of the Year, Hannah Houge, in the winner’s bracket final.
“We get knocked down, we stand right back up, and nothing can seem to stop us,” noted senior Kayla Fredendall. “There’s a fight within the team. It’s not something you can coach or teach.”
The Fighting Camels lived up to the “fight” in their name, winning all six games in the regular season decided in extra innings. They overcame a 14-inning marathon against the same Longwood club back on April 24 to secure a regular season title. Then fast forward to the final game of the tournament; Campbell leaned on that experience to get the job done.
“Look around you, this is our family,” McDonald-Kelley pointed out to her players in the huddle. “This is our people. Everything outside of the circle just can’t penetrate. That’s all that matters.”
That Campbell family called upon an emotional leader to step up from her usual role as the energizer bunny off the bench into captain clutch at the plate. The last time redshirt sophomore infielder Diana Parker started was on April 3, and her number was called in Game 54; an elimination contest to decide the Big South title.
Parker delivered the knockout punch — smacking her first home run of the year in the bottom of the sixth inning.
“She (Diana) was trying to play cool, and then I’m losing my mind my,” McDonald-Kelley joked following the game-clinching home run. “Then you could see the big smile across her face. That is what it’s all about.”
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