NCAA Division II National Championship

First Round -- Thursday, May 17 (All times Eastern)

Noon - Bloomsburg vs. Humboldt State

2:30 p.m. - Nebraska-Omaha vs. Kennesaw State

5 p.m. - Lewis vs. Eastern New Mexico

7:30 p.m. - Dowling vs. Alabama-Huntsville

The field has been completed for the 2001 NCAA Division II Softball National Championship, which begins Thursday in Salem, Va. Alabama-Huntsville, Bloomsburg, Dowling, Eastern New Mexico, Humboldt State, Kennesaw State, Lewis and Nebraska-Omaha all won their regionals Saturday to advance to nationals.

 

Top-seeded Bloomsburg defeated No. 3 seed Indiana (Pa.) 5-0 in the title game to win the Mid-Atlantic Regional championship. Vanessa Sterner led off the game with a home run and the Huskies never looked back.

Bloomsburg will face West Region champion Humboldt State in game one of the national championship Thursday. The second-seeded Lumberjacks held off a late rally to defeat No. 1 seed UC Davis 2-1.

In the South Atlantic Region, No. 1 Kennesaw State capped its comeback after an opening round loss with a 5-1 victory over No. 2 North Florida. The Owls won four consecutive games at the regional, the last two over North Florida.

Kennesaw State will have a rematch of the Division II national championship game in the first round of the national finals -- the 1996 national championship, that is. No. 2 seed Nebraska-Omaha defeated No. 4 Truman State to win the North Central Region. Truman State eliminated nationally No. 1-ranked and defending national champion North Dakota State in the finals of the loser's bracket.

Top-seeded Lewis claimed its second consecutive Great Lakes Region championship, defeating No. 2 Southern Illinois-Edwardsville 5-1 in the title game. SIU-Edwardsville defeated Lewis 4-0 to force a final game.

Lewis will open the first round of the national finals against first-time finalist Eastern New Mexico, winners of the South Central Region. No. 3 seed Eastern New Mexico defeated No. 4 St. Mary's (Texas) 4-0 in the title game as ENMU pitcher Jennifer Harrer took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and finished with a one-hitter. St. Mary's eliminated No. 2 seed and defending region champion Mesa State earlier in the day as Kristy Marley tossed a one-hitter.

No. 1 seed Alabama-Huntsville claimed its second South Region title in three years, as Shannon Sims' sixth-inning leadoff home run provided the winning margin in the Chargers' 4-3 victory over No. 3 West Florida. West Florida defeated Alabama-Huntsville 3-0 to force a final game.

Alabama-Huntsville will face Northeast Region champion Dowling, which is making its first ever appearance in the national finals. No. 2 seed Dowling defeated No. 4 American International 4-1 in the title game, avenging a 7-6 loss to American International that forced a final game.

For more information, go to the NCAA Softball web site.