By Kevin Mills,Staff Writer

JAY – The Jay Tigers hope Friday was just the start of something good.

The top-ranked Tigers bridged the gap between a successful regular season and a promising postseason with an impressive 6-0 win over Monmouth in the MVC softball championship game.

With the combination of fine defense and a consistent offense, Jay played a game that could result in a couple of more titles before the season ends.

“This was the first step,” said Jay coach Robin Roberts. “We wanted to get this one. They’ve got something now, and it’s one game at a time now.”

The Tigers lost the MVC title game last year and were eliminated in the Western C semifinals.

“We’ve wanted it for the last couple of years,” said shortstop Lindsey McDonald, part of a trio of seniors that include pitcher Bree Loon and catcher Sara Fetterhoff. “The last two years we’ve done really well, and the seniors just wanted it a lot.”

Loon pitched a two-hitter and struck out 12 batters. The Tigers had eight hits and executed nicely at the plate. Kaylie DeMillo, Brittany Frailey and Kristen Adams each had two hits for the Tigers.

“It gives us a lot of confidence,” said Desire Castonguay. “If we didn’t have it before, we do now. This was a big game.”

The Tigers also had a superb day in the field. Frailey had a nice catch in right field while Castonguay made a fine grab at third.

“We played good defense,” said Roberts. “Brittany Frailey threw someone out at first base and made a diving catch. Desire had a nice over-the-shoulder catch. Those two girls are sophomores.”

Monmouth (12-2), a team that features five freshmen regulars, fell into a 2-0 hole in the first inning but plucked away. Katie Woodman had the first hit in the third inning, but the second hit came from Jill Armstrong in the sixth.

“At that point, they had nothing to lose, and you just go in there and relax and have fun,” said Monmouth coach Rachel Bernier. “The two runs deflated us to a certain extent. When you’re going to bat offensively, you’re trying harder than you should be, and you’re not playing within yourselves.”

Jay’s first two runs came on a pair of illegal pitches by Brittany Hilton. The Tigers had two runners on thanks to a hit and an error.

“When you’re dealing with freshmen, nerves play a part,” said Bernier. “She knew it was a pressure situation. She’s pulled out of that before, but this is not just another game. You’re playing for something. She got nervous.”

In the third, Castonguay singled in a run and Frailey had an RBI double. A Felicia Floyd bunt that scored Fetterhoff made it 5-0. DeMillo scored in the fourth on a botched pick-off attempt.