NCAA DIVISION III CHAMPIONSHIP
JAMES I. MOYER SPORTS COMPLEX, SALEM, VA.
FRIDAY'S GAMES
GAME 1 - #1 Central (Iowa) 7 vs. #8 Western New England (Mass.) 0
GAME 2 - #4 Cortland State (N.Y.) 0 vs. #5 Salisbury (Md.) 1
GAME 3 - #3 Muskingum (Ohio) 2 vs. #6 Illinois Wesleyan 9
GAME 4 - #2 Emory (Ga.) 7 vs. #7 Wartburg (Iowa) 0
SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE (All times EDT)
GAME 5 - 10 a.m. - Western New England vs. Cortland
GAME 6 - 12:30 p.m. - Muskingum vs. Wartburg
GAME 7 - 3 p.m. - Central vs. Salisbury
GAME 8 - 5:30 p.m. - Illinois Wesleyan vs. EmoryALL SATURDAY GAMES HAVE BEEN MOVED UP ONE HOUR DUE TO PREDICTED INCLEMENT
WEATHER.
Game 3 #7 Wartburg (37-8) 000 000 0 -- 0-3-4
#2 Emory (36-4) 201 040 x -- 7-6-0
Stephanie Rasmussen (Wartburg) and Nicole Kovski, Christine O'Brien (7) (Emory)
WP - Kovski (16-3)
LP - Rasmussen (21-6)The Emory Eagles got on the board early with a leadoff walk by Lauren Dix,
followed by what would have been a sacrifice bunt by Emily Sunshine who was
safe at first advancing Dix to third. Sunshine stole second. Tamara Boggs
singled to right field scoring Dix. Allison Bouknight singled to center field
scoring Sunshine for the game's first two runs. Both teams retired the side
in the second with just three batters. The third inning proved interesting
as Emory scored one more run on a line drive by Sunshine, a sacrifice bunt
from Melissa Roberts, and a single by Bouknight hit off the end of her bat.
It was picked up by the first baseman, but with no cover at first, the flip
to the second baseman was weak leaving Roberts safe at first and again
scoring Sunshine. Emory kept the runs flowing in the fifth on a base hit by
Sunshine, a walk from Roberts, and a double from Boggs that scored one, a
squeeze bunt by Bouknight who also stole second, and a single to center field
from Elizabeth Hampson that scored two. The sixth was uneventful for both
teams as each retired with just three batters. Emory changed pitchers in the
top of the seventh to Christine O'Brien who struck out two, including the
final batter. Emory will play again Saturday at 5:30 p.m. against Illinois
Wesleyan. Wartburg advances to the elimination bracket and plays at 12:30
p.m. Saturday against Muskingum.WARTBURG HEAD COACH RICK WILLIS ON HOW THE TEAM PLAYED: "I was disappointed
with the outcome and the way we played. I don't want to take anything away
from Emory, but that's not the way we played to get to this point. We
played poorly iin the first game of the regionals, too, but we're playing
stiffer competition here. We'll take care of the things we can control and if
we do that I feel we'll have a good chance."CATCHER RENAE VOMACKA: "I think with the situation, our batters got tight and
tense."PITCHER STEPHANIE RASMUSSEN: on her pitching: "I felt the ball moved well,
but that's just kinda how the game goes."EMORY HEAD COACH PENNY SIQUEIROS ON GAME STRATEGY: "We really stick to our
guns and take care of the basics. I think it was to our advantage that we had
been here before and Wartburg hadn't. We took advantage of their youth."PITCHER NICOLE KOVSKI ON THROWING INSIDE PITCHES: "I like to throw inside and
they were crowding the plate so I took advantage of the opportunity. I'm a
little surprised that they didn't adjust more."