SALEM, Va. – Three runs in the top of the seventh tied the contest and right fielder Fran Johnson’s ninth-inning three-run HR finished the comeback as Valdosta State rallied past Wayne State (MI) in extra frames at the NCAA Division II Softball Championship in Salem, Va., 8-5 (9 inn.).
“That’s what we’ve done all year,” Valdosta State head coach Thomas Macera said. “We’ve been down-and-out, counting the outs out at the end. The one thing that’s gotten us here this season is our hitting. We’ve got good pitching and good defense, although tonight we had a couple of errors, which we usually don’t have. There at the end of the game when we needed a couple of plays, we came up big. We hit a couple of HR’s and that’s a great pitcher, I mean look at her stats. We just found ways to get hits. I’m so proud of the girls right now.”
The Valdosta State offense banged out 15 hits with five players registering at least two base knocks. The assault was led by Johnson (3-for-4, HR, four RBIs) and third baseman Hannah Strickland (2-for-5, two runs, RBI).
Wayne State (MI) was left to rue a load of missed opportunities as the Warriors left 12 runners stranded while managing 14 hits in the match-up. Left fielder Logan White (3-for-5, double) and third baseman Jade McGarr (3-for-5, HR, RBI) guided a contingent of five players with at least two base knocks.
In the circle Caitlyn Calhoun (11-4) earned the victory in relief, scattering six hits and allowing no earned runs with four K’s over 5.1 frames. Wayne State’s Lyndsay Butler dropped to 25-6 overall after allowing eight earned runs on 15 hits with eight strikeouts over nine innings.
After Valdosta State left NFCA All-American center fielder Courtney Albritton standing in scoring position during the top of the first, Wayne State (MI) broke in front on the scoreboard during the bottom half to nab a quick 1-0 lead. White laced a one-out double to right center and catcher Emily Bryce delivered a clutch two-out RBI single down the left field line as the Warriors registered the program’s first-ever run in the NCAA Division II Championship.
The lead lasted only a couple of minutes as Blazer second baseman Chelsea Canara blasted a shot over the center field wall, deadlocking the match-up at 1-1. VSU eventually posted runners at second and third with two retired on a double by catcher Morgan Butler, an infield single from designated player Heather Robinson and a sacrifice bunt, but Albritton grounded out harmlessly to short as Valdosta State missed a big opportunity to add to the scoreboard.
On a Wayne State team not known for its power, possessing only 13 HR’s all season coming in, McGarr christened the bottom of the second with a towering solo drive over the wall in center as the Warriors regained the lead at 2-1.
A leadoff walk issued to Canara quickly came back to haunt Wayne State starter Butler in the top of the fourth as a sacrifice bunt, a Butler single and an error plated the runner, tying the count at 2-2. A bunt hit by left fielder April Collins packed the bases, but Valdosta State missed yet another chance to grab its initial lead as Albritton hit into a fielder’s choice and NFCA All-American shortstop Shelby Altman bounced harmlessly back to the circle.
The back-and-forth contest continued in the bottom of the fourth as the Warriors mounted a two-out threat. Leadoff hitter and DP Emily Cava singled to right and advanced into scoring position via a base knock through the left side off the bat of White. Butler helped her own cause in the circle, lacing an RBI single down the right field line as WSU moved back in front 3-2.
With the Blazers still trailing by a run, Johnson opened the top of the sixth with a single through the left side of the infield and a stolen base. The theme of missed opportunities continued for Valdosta State, however, as a pop-up, a strikeout and a groundout left the occupant parked in scoring position.
Two VSU errors played a major role in helping Wayne State (MI) pick up some vital insurance in the bottom of the sixth. Cava reached on a miscue at short with one down, and pinch runner Catherine Rayos soon improved to second on a groundout. Another RBI from Butler, the second error of the frame and a run-scoring base knock off the bat of Bryce expanded the Warrior advantage to 5-2.
Facing a final chance to extend the contest, Valdosta State’s offense refused to go quietly in the top of the seventh. Altman and first baseman Kiley Rusen got a major threat started with consecutive one-out hits. The onslaught soon continued as Strickland bounced a ball through the right side of the infield, scoring Altman to cut the deficit to 5-3. A fielding error on a ball to short off Canara’s bat plated pinch runner Brandi Blount bringing VSU within a single tally for the first time since the fourth inning. Having battled to a full count at the plate, Johnson came through by delivering a shot to center that was misplayed, allowing Strickland to race home from second and dead-lock the contest at 5-5.
Each team managed a base runner during the eighth, but it wasn’t until the top of the ninth that a serious threat was ignited. Rusen and Strickland led off Valdosta State’s half of the frame with singles, eventually moving into scoring position via a perfect sacrifice bunt from Canara. That set the stage for Johnson’s heroics as she crushed a three-run shot to left granting Valdosta State its first lead of the entire match-up at 8-5.
With Wayne State (MI) facing its final chance, VSU reliever Caitlyn Calhoun allowed a two-out single but nothing else as Blazers finished off their spirited rally.
