University of Tennessee Athletics
Shipman, USSSA Pride Win NPF Championship
August 23, 2014 | Softball
HOOVER, Ala. -- Tennessee softball alum Madison Shipman can add 2014 National Pro Fastpitch Champion to her distinguished list of accomplishments as the Valencia, Calif., native helped the USSSA Pride sweep the Akron Racers in two games to win the Cowles Cup.
The Pride took a 1-0 win over the Racers in Game 1 on Friday and used a seven-run sixth inning on Saturday to take Game 2, 8-3, and capture its second consecutive NPF championship before a crowd of nearly 1,300 at the Hoover Met.
Shipman, the 2014 NPF Rookie of the Year, had a hit and a walk in Game 1 on Friday and recorded a walk and a run in Game 2 on Saturday. The Tennessee legend hit .344 during the NPF regular season with five home runs, 28 RBIs and 21 runs scored. Her 10 regular-season doubles led the league.
Shipman has enjoyed an award-filled 2014 calendar year to date. In June she received the Honda Sports Award for Softball, joining Monica Abbott as Tennessee's second winner of the prestigious award. She also became the first Tennessee student-athlete in any sport to win the Senior CLASS Award. She earned NFCA All-American honors for a third-straight year and Capital One Academic All-America honors for a second-consecutive season. Shipman became the fourth Lady Vol to be named SEC Player of the Year and was a top 10 finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award.
