Session One
Central 2, Capital 1
Central, the 2003 national champions, successfully opened defense of its title with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Capital. Bri Kuyper scored both runs for the Dutch, including the game-winning run Katy Lein's double. Kuyper went 1-for-2 with a run scored for Central. Leah Dudgeon paced Capital with a 1-for-3, one RBI performance. Corrie Schmidt picked up the win for Central, going the distance and allowing a single run on three hits. Jamie Wallace suffered the loss despite seven strikeouts.
Coe 2, Bethany 1
Coe scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to take a 2-1 win over Bethany. The Kohawks' Rachel Brinkman tied the game with her RBI single, and Ashley Wagner scored the winning run on a Bethany error. Brinkman went 1-for-3 with an RBI for Coe, while Romney Waters paced Bethany with a 1-for-3 day with a run scored. Amy Ernst earned the win with a shutout performance, while Waters took the loss.
La Verne 5, Maryville 2
La Verne broke open a 2-2 game with a three-run sixth inning to go on for the 5-2 win over Maryville. The Leopards took an early two-run lead with a single run in the opening two frames, but Maryville battled back with a pair of runs in the fourth to knot the game at two apiece. Jessica DeGiacomo and Amanda Jones kicked off the deciding inning for La Verne with a pair of singles. Kelley Slagyi gave the Leopards the lead for good with an RBI double. She later scored on Ashley Savage's two-out single.
East Texas Baptist 5, Bridgewater St. 1
East Texas Baptist scored a run in each of the first five innings en route to opening the tournament with a 5-1 win over Bridgewater State. Chrisy Shipley scored the opening run of the game for the Tigers in the first. Tonya Minor scored extended the lead in the second as she touched the plate on Jennifer Doyal's single. Doyal scored in the fourth to extend the lead to 3-0, while Shirley scored her second run of the game for the final scoring for the Tigers. Bridgewater State's lone run came in the sixth when Natalia Ardagna drove in Natalie Barbanti.
Methodist 2, St. Thomas 1
Despite taking an early 1-0 lead, St. Thomas was unable to hold off a determined Methodist squad who rallied for both of its runs in the sixth to take a 2-1 lead. Kristen Kennedy kicked off the scoring as she scored on Jennifer Patrick's double. Patrick later plated the go-ahead run as she scored on Ashley Abrams' two-out single. St. Thomas took the early lead in the first inning as Kathleen Fitzpatrick led off with a single and scored on Kaja Martinson's RBI single.
Alma 8, LaGrange 0 (5 innings)
Alma's offense ignited in the third inning with a four-run frame followed by a pair of runs the next two innings to claim an 8-0 win over hometown LaGrange. The Scots sent nine batters to the plate in the four-run inning. Katie Eustice did the damage for Alma in the frame as she drove home a couple of runs on one of her two doubles of the afternoon. Eustice led the way with her two hits, while Hayley Hanson, Hannah Freeman and Kelsey McBride each collected hits for the Panthers.
Session Two
Moravian 3, Central 0
Moravian's Jenn Hastings scored all three runs on a first-inning double, and that would be all the Greyhounds would need as Meagan Hennessy allowed just two hits to knock off Central 3-0. Heather Bortz had three hits for Moravian and Janelle Brey posted a pair. Anne Legg and Bri Kuyper had a hit each for the Dutch.
Illinois Wesleyan 3, Coe 1
Lisa Krapf's RBI double in the sixth inning broke open a 1-1 tie as Illinois Wesleyan knocked off Coe 3-1. Krapf scored the Titans' first run of the game when she tripled in the fourth and later scored on Colleen Schuster's fly ball to right field. Brynn Hasse led off the decidigng sixth for Illinois Wesleyan with a single before Krapf drove her home with the deciding run. Krapf and Natalie Hackett each registered a pair of hits, while Sarah Marting went 2-for-3 with an RBI despite picking up the loss in the circle.
Muskingum 2, Maryville 0
Muskingum got a run in the fourth and fifth innings to knock off Maryville 2-0. The Muskies' first run of the game came in the fourth inning when Jennifer Shay drove in Shauna Jellison who doubled a batter earlier. Muskingum scored again in the fifth when Jeanna Rayman singled in Erin Zupko. Erica Hoyt went the distance, tossing a shutout while registering seven strikeouts. Heidi Patterson gave up two unearned runs in suffering the loss.
East Texas Baptist 8, Lake Forest 0 (5 innings)
East Texas Baptist scored four runs in the third inning to cap off an 8-0 win over Lake Forest. The Tigers opened the game with a pair of runs in the first as Christy Shipley and Tonya Minor each scored after leading the game off with back-to-back doubles. After the four-run third inning, ETBU scored the final two runs of the game with a Jennifer Doyal base hit that scored Holley Martin and Allison Ratcliff. Kristen Abernathy went all five innings, hurling scoreless softball while allowing just four hits.
Methodist 5, Western Connecticut St. 0
Kristen Kennedy drove in a pair of runs to highlight a three-run sixth inning that pushed Methodist to a 5-0 win over Western Connecticut State. Kim McCall jumpstarted the Methodist offense with a solo home run in the second inning, and Lisa Strittmatter closed the inning by scoring to put Methodist up 2-0. The Monarchs' offense was held in check until the sixth,when three runs crossed the plate for the final margin.
Plattsburgh St. 4, LaGrange 3 (10 innings)
Plattsburgh State pulled out an exciting 4-3 win over hometown school LaGrange that went 10 innings. Starting pitchers Kellee Scandrett of LaGrange and Kori Bean of Plattsburgh State battled to a scoreless tie through regulation. LaGrange struck with the first run of the game in the eighth, but Plattsburgh struck back with a run in the bottom half of the inning as Jessica Mears brought in Hedi Benware. With two out in the 10th frame, DeMooney delivered a single to right field that scored Mason with the winning run.
Session Three
Moravian 13, Roanoke 6
Janelle Brey homered in consecutive innings and drove in six runs, including one in a six-run first, to push Moravian past Roanoke in an offensive battle. Roanoke early lead with five runs in the top of the first, but the Greyhounds, who moved to 2-0 in pool play, responded with six of their own in the bottom of the opening inning. Donna Weaver allowed just one more run the rest of the way for Moravian, and her offense responded with one of Brey's home runs in the second and a grand slam from her in the third. The Greyhounds kept on the fast track, putting up another two runs in the fifth.
Illinois Wesleyan 4, Ithaca 3
Katie Frawley went 2-for-2 with two runs scored as Illinois Wesleyan took a 4-0 lead and held off a furious Ithaca rally over the last two innings to take a 4-3 win and remain perfect in pool play. Brynn Hasse got the scoring started as she doubled to bring in Katie Frawley, who led off the inning with a single. The Titans got two more in the fifth when Lisa Krapf singled to bring in Frawley and Michelle Bradley. Ithaca bounced back in the sixth when Kaitlyn Dulac led off with a single and scored on Leigh Bonkowski's two-run home run. The Bombers added another run in the seventh, but the rally fell short as a double play recorded the final two outs at second and third.
Muskingum 10, Wheaton 0 (6 innings)
Muskingum moved to 2-0 in pool play action behind eight runs combined over the fourth and fifth innings en route to a 10-0 win over Wheaton in six innings. The Muskies got the offense sparked in the third when Shauna Jellison lined a two-run home run to put her squad up 2-0. The Muskies put up another three runs in the fourth behind five singles, and then they added five more including a Nicole Blubaugh grand slam.
Muhlenberg 1, Lake Forest 0 (10 innings)
Jackie Maser scored what proved to be the winning run in the top of the 10th inning to send Muhlenberg over Lake Forest 1-0 in extra frames. The hit pushed Danielle DeLucia to the win as she struck out five and allowed just seven hits. Despite going eight and two-thirds, Ashley Closson suffered the loss as she gave up two hits.
Willamette 8, Western Connecticut St. 0 (6 innings)
Teren Edgecomb had a couple of hits, scored a run and drove in another as Willamette out-slugged Western Connecticut State 8-0 in six innings. After taking an early 1-0 lead in the second, the Bearcats extended the lead with two runs in the third on Kim Boscacci's single that scored Cari Schruth and Marcie Hagen. Edgecomb took advantage of a couple of errors and drove in a run with a single before she scored on Jen Hammond's triple. Willamette added two more runs in the sixth to clinch the victory.
Pacific Lutheran 8, Plattsburgh St. 0 (6 innings)
Pacific Lutheran scored four runs in the third and then struck again for three in the sixth to claim an 8-0 win over Plattsburgh State. Back-to-back doubles by Jewel Koury and Gretchen Ruecker keyed the four-run third. After adding a run in the fourth, the Lutes struck again with three runs in the sixth behind a triple by Ruecker that scored Andrea Wells and Koury.
Session Four
La Verne 14, Wheaton 0 (5 innings)
A 10-run fourth inning helped La Verne remain perfect as the Leopards knocked off Wheaton 14-0. Fifteen batters came up in the frame, including Debbie Bugarin who homered after singling earlier in the frame. She came up a double shy of the cycle as she tripled in the fifth that drove in another run. Amber Guerra got the offensive explosion underway in the third as she hit a two-run home run.
Muhlenberg 4, Bridgewater St. 2
Muhlenberg scored a run in four of the first five innings and then held tough on defense for a tough 4-2 win over Bridgewater State. Jackie Maser started the scoring as she drove in Nicole Sarno on a two-out single in the first. The Mules struck again in the second as Sarno drove in Andrea Cohen. After adding another run in the third, Muhlenberg's Cohen and Tara DeMarzo each added hits to bring in Missy DeFrain. Nicole Ardagna, who went 2-for-4, plated both of her RBIs on a double in the seventh to cut the lead to 4-2. The Bears couldn't get any closer, and the Mules hung on for the win.
Bethany 7, Ithaca 4
A three-run fifth inning proved to be the difference as Bethany held off Ithaca in a hotly-contested 7-4 game. Bethany took the early two-run lead with runs in the third and fourth innings, and they extended the cushion with three more in the fifth behind Jacki White's two-RBI double. Ithaca cut into the lead as Leigh Bonkowski hit a two-run home run. White's 2-for-5, two RBI performance led the way for the Bison, while Ithaca was paced by Bonkowski, who added another hit in addition to the two-run homer.
Capital 8, Roanoke 0 (6 innings)
Amanda Carroll hit a two-out, two-run home run that set the pace for Capital's 8-0 win over Roanoke. After plating another run in the second, the Crusaders broke the game open with three more runs in the third. Donna Lazarowski got the inning going with an RBI single, and Maureen Bickley concluded the offensive output in the frame with a two-run double. Capital added another run in the fifth and closed the scoring in the sixth. Carroll led hte offense, going 1-for-4 with two RBIs, while Bickley added a pair of hits and also drove in a pair of runs.
St. Thomas 6, Willamette 1
A three-run fourth inning would prove to be all Carrie Embree would need as she allowed one run on four hits with four strikeouts to lead St. Thomas to a 6-1 victory over Willamette. Kristi Huegel capped the three-run frame with a triple that plated Nikki Conway who led the inning off with a single. The Tommies proceeded to add a run in each of the next three frames to cap the scoring. Huegel paced St. Thomas at the plate, going 2-for-4, while Willamette's Cari Schruth had a hit and an RBI.
Alma 8, Pacific Lutheran 0 (6 innings)
Alma scored in the first three innings, including three runs in the third, to take an 8-0 win over Pacific Lutheran in the final game of the opening day. Leading 2-0, Erin Carson drove in two more of Alma's runs on her third-inning double. Alma wrapped up the win as Katie Eustice drove a double to center field that scored the Scots' Christy Brewer and Carson. Eustice crossed home with the final run of the game on Anne Westerman's double to right.
