NOTE: Baldwin Wallace University vacated the results of this event due to an NCAA Infraction.
ADRIAN, MICH. -- The third-seed Baldwin-Wallace College softball team was defeated by the seventh-seed Hiram College, 5-4, today (Saturday, May 14) in a second round game at the eight-team NCAA Central Region Tournament hosted by Adrian College at the Adrian Softball Field. The game which started on Friday, May 13 at 4:45 p.m. was suspended in the sixth inning due to lighting and restarted this morning at 9:00 a.m.
In other action on Friday, Trine (Ind.) University defeated eighth-seed D'Youville (N.Y.) College, 11-0, second-seed Alma (Mich.) College shutout sixth-seed Bethany (W. Va.) College 11-0 and top-seed DePauw knocked off Ohio Athletic Conference rival Ohio Northern University 13-5 as all three games ended in the sixth inning. D'Youville and Bethany have been eliminated from the tournament.
In the opening round, B-W defeated the Bethany, 6-3, Hiram upset and shutout Alma, 4-0, Ohio Northern defeated Trine, 3-0 and DePauw shutout D'Youville, 6-0.
With the loss, B-W is now 28-10 overall, while Hiram improves to 27-12. BW plays in an elimination game today at 12 noon versus #24-ranked Trine (Ind.). Hiram advances in the winner's bracket to play #16 DePauw (Ind.)
In the first inning, senior first baseman
Katrina Resek (Strongsville) led the game off with a walk but was forced out at second on the fielder's choice by freshman left fielder
Ashley Elber (Huron/Edison). Senior centerfielder
Tanya Davis (Hinckley/Medina Highland) drew a base on balls and
Elber advanced to second before stealing third. With two outs,
Davis stole second and advanced to third on the throw while
Elber scored to give the Yellow Jackets an early 1-0 lead.
In the third inning,
Elber led off the inning with a base knock to left field and advanced to second on the ground out by freshman designated player
Tabitha Murray (Mogadore/Field). Freshman third baseman
Kaity Mullen (Avon Lake) reached on an error by the shortstop and
Elber scored to push the B-W lead to 2-0.
Hiram cut the lead down to 2-1 after five innings of play.
In the sixth inning, the Yellow Jackets responded with two more runs to push the lead back up to 4-1.
Mullenled off the inning with a single to right center and was replaced by freshman outfielder
Katie Carabin (Norwalk/St. Paul) as a pinch runner.
Carabin advanced first to second on a passed ball and then was sacrificed over to third on the bunt by junior right fielder
Sarah Baker (Mentor/Lake Catholic). Junior second baseman
Katie Finley (Vermilion) reached on a fielder's choice and
Carabin scored. Freshman shortstop
Lauren Feciuch (Kent/Field) had a base hit through the left side and
Finley advanced to second.
Reseksingled to the pitcher and
Finley and
Feciuch moved up a base and
Finley eventually scored on a wild pitch.
Hiram cut the lead back down to 4-2 before the game was suspended in the bottom of the sixth inning with one runner on base and one out. When play resumed this morning, the Terriers scored three more runs to secure the 5-4 victory.
The winner of the Central Regional Tournament will advance to the Division III College World Series in Salem, Virginia on May 20-24 at the Moyer Softball Complex.
