Aimee Murch tossed her fourth complete game, and Lynn University used the long ball to down Kennesaw State 5-3, and win the school’s first national championship in softball. 

Lynn became just the third team in history to win the Division II title without suffering a loss at the national tournament. Lynn head coach Thomas Macera won his second consecutive national title after winning the NAIA championship at Thomas (Ga.) last season. 

The loss broke a streak of nine consecutive wins in elimination contests for Kennesaw State this postseason. The Owls will be moving to Division I and the Atlantic Sun Conference for the 2006 season. 

Lynn got things started by taking advantage of a Kennesaw State error in the second inning. With two outs, Rachel Foster hit a two run homer to score Alex Acosta, who led off the inning by reaching on a fielding error. 

The Owls’ Jennifer Nolan hit the tournament’s lone triple in the fourth, scoring Lori Cassell from second base. Nolan was stranded at third base when Kelley Cowart flied out to end the inning. 

Christina Rolla and Tiffani King hit back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning take a 2-1 game to 4-1. Kennesaw State’s Keri McKee answered in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead to 4-3, but the Fighting Knights added an insurance run in the seventh and Murch retired the side in the bottom of the seventh.