The 1981 AIAW women's college slow-pitch softball championship was held near Raleigh, North Carolina on May 14–16. Thirteen college softball teams met in the first AIAW national slow-pitch softball tournament. The AIAW conducted only two slow-pitch softball national championships, in 1981 and 1982, as the NCAA sought to and eventually did vanquish the women's collegiate athletic organization.
Teams
editThe double-elimination tournament included 13 teams seeded in the following order:
- Florida State
- East Carolina
- North Carolina
- South Florida
- North Carolina State
- Auburn
- Florida
- Wilmington College (Ohio)
- Western Carolina
- Northern Kentucky
- Georgia Southern
- Morehead State (Kentucky)
- Lakeland Community College (Ohio)
Top-seeded Florida State was the victor in the tournament, winning all four of its games. The team eliminated North Carolina in the final, 4-1, and placed five players on the all-tournament team. Darby Cottle was voted the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.[1] The Lady Seminoles won 16 consecutive games to finish out the season with a record of 54-7. JoAnne Graf, who went on to have a legendary career at the university, coached the team to Florida State's first softball national championship.[2]
Bracket
edit| Upper round 1 | Upper round 2 | Upper round 3 | Upper final | Final | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida State | 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Western Carolina | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wilmington College | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Western Carolina | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida State | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Carolina State | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Carolina State | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Morehead State | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Carolina State | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lakeland College | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Florida | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lakeland College | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida State | 12[a] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| East Carolina | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| East Carolina | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Kentucky | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| East Carolina | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Carolina | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Carolina | 5 | Florida State | 4 | – | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia Southern | 1 | North Carolina | 1 | – | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Auburn | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia Southern | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lower round 1 | Lower round 2 | Lower round 3 | Lower round 4 | Lower round 5 | Lower final | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia Southern | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Carolina State | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Florida | 14 | South Florida | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Florida | 2 | South Florida | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Morehead State | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida | 1 | East Carolina | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Carolina State | 4 | North Carolina | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wilmington College | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Carolina | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lakeland College | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Carolina | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Auburn | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Auburn | 1 | Auburn | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Kentucky | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Western Carolina | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Kentucky | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- ^ 8 innings
Ranking
edit| Place | School | WCWS Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Florida State | 4-0 |
| 2nd | North Carolina | 4-2 |
| 3rd | East Carolina | 2-2 |
| 4th | North Carolina State | 3-2 |
| 5th | South Florida | 3-2 |
| Auburn | 2-2 | |
| 7th | Florida | 2-2 |
| Northern Kentucky | 2-2 | |
| 9th | Georgia Southern | 1-2 |
| Western Carolina | 1-2 | |
| Lakeland Community College | 1-2 | |
| 12th | Morehead State | 0-2 |
| Wilmington College | 0-2 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Softball History Website". Retrieved March 11, 2017.
- ^ a b "Lady Seminoles claim national softball crown". Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee, Florida. May 17, 1981. p. 1F. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
- ^ "Lady Cats Set to Play National AIAW Slo-Pitch Softball Finals". The Sylva Herald and Ruralite. Sylva, North Carolina. May 14, 1981. p. 8. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
- ^ "Lady Seminoles gain AIAW softball final". Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee, Florida. May 16, 1981. p. 2C. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
- ^ "NCAA Women's Softball". Retrieved March 8, 2017.