NCAA Division II Championship
James I. Moyer Softball Complex
Salem, Va.
Division II Championship Host Web Site
Division II Championship LIVE Audio Broadcast
Day One Notes
One Streak Ends, One Continues: Bloomsburg saw its 21-game winning streak come to an end in its 2-1 loss to Bloomsburg. Humboldt State extended its winning streak to eight games.
"Homer" Hochdorfer: For the second consecutive year, Kennesaw State designated player Christine Hochdorfer homered in the national finals. Hochdorfer, who homered last year against North Dakota State, hit a solo home run Thursday against Nebraska-Omaha.
Coaching Matrimony I: James and Kathleen Rodriguez are not only co-head coaches for Eastern New Mexico, they're also husband and wife. In fact, Kathleen Rodriguez is 8 1/2 months pregnant with their second child.
Coaching Matrimony II: While Lewis head coach George DiMatteo was guiding his Flyers to a 1-0 victory over Eastern New Mexico, his wife, Deb, was leading College of DuPage (Ill.) to a pair of victories at the NJCAA Division III national finals in Anne Arundel, Md. College of DuPage won the national championship last year.
Berry Steals a Record: Alabama-Huntsville's Stephanie Berry broke the NCAA Division II record for consecutive stolen bases. Berry, who is now 46-for-46 in stolen bases this season, extended her streak to 66 consecutive stolen bases with a stolen base in the third inning against Dowling Thursday. The previous record was 65 by Cheryl Bogues of North Carolina Central (1993).
Day One Quotes
"Close games is how it's been all year. The defense just keeps coming up big."
Humboldt State pitcher Jessame Kendall.
"This is not where we'd choose to be. I thought we were tight."
Bloomsburg head coach Jan Hutchinson
"We didn't intend to steal. We missed a signal."
Nebraska-Omaha head coach Jeanne Tostenson on Jill Peterson's seventh-inning stolen base to set up the winning run.
"It's not the way you want to do it, but it can be done."
Kennesaw State head coach Scott Whitlock on winning a national championship after losing in the first round. Kennesaw State won the 1995 national championship after losing in the first round.
"Maybe we don't have individual stars, but we come together as a team."
Lewis head coach George DiMatteo
"We were tight. We played tight. We didn't play Zia ball."
Eastern New Mexico co-head coach Kathleen Rodriguez.
