Championship Round Day 3
UT ARLINGTON 4, IOWA STATE 3 FORT COLLINS, CO – Aileen Garcia met the moment in the bottom of the seventh inning on Sunday, and with the way she was swinging the bat during the 2019 NISC, the moment didn’t stand a chance of winning. Garcia laced a single to drive in Krista Rude, which brought across the final run for UT Arlington as the Mavericks topped Iowa State, 4-3, at the Colorado 14er Field to win the championship. The Mavs (36-27) had reached the NISC tournament in all three years of the event, but broke through this year in going 3-0 over the course of three days. Freshman reliever Allie Gardiner got the win with 2 2/3 innings of near-spotless relief, allowing just one hit and ringing up arguably the most important out of the event, a strikeout of lethal-hitting Sami Williams of ISU to end the top of the seventh inning. Garcia, the tournament MVP, had an equally important RBI in the bottom of the first inning, getting Whitney Walton home after she’d tripled to start the frame and was still on third with two outs. Garcia says she makes sure not to worry about the number of outs when it’s time for a critical at-bat. “With seniors (Rude and Laura Curry) on base, it only felt right that I had to do it for the seniors. It wasn’t for me at that point – that gave me extra motivation,” said the junior from Houston. “I think about how I can move the runner, and not hardly about the outs. What can I do to move the runner, get it to the right side, that’s what I’m looking to do. “It’s a championship game, and it’s supposed to be a competition. It’s what you live for, and that gave me motivation, too.” Gardiner faced Williams in the top of the fifth, walking her, and the Cyclones (37-25) were able to tie the game at 3-all during that frame. The freshman from Yorba Linda, CA., has been managing the closer role all season, and she relied on all her skills with the strikeout of Williams in the seventh. “My coaches have had a lot of faith in me. (Williams) is a real talented hitter, and Coach (Peejay Brun) said don’t give her anything too close, and if you walk her, so be it. But go at her if you can,” Gardiner said. “That first pitch was a little too close, but after that I went a little wide. At two strikes, I tried to throw it hard and spin the curve ball, and I got it down. That was a good feeling.” Iowa State took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, with Sydney Stites bringing in a run with a groundout and Sally Woolpert another with a single. Whitney Walton tripled to lead off the bottom of the frame for UTA, and she scored on a Garcia single to make it 2-1. Bri Burchianti scored on an error in the fourth, and Curry’s bunt drove in another run as the Mavericks took a 3-2 lead. It became a 3-3 score in the top of the fifth on a bunt from Taylor Nearad; the inning ended on a diving catch by Rude in left field. The Mavs got another key diving catch in the outfield in the seventh by Curry for the first out of the frame. “Last night we talked about how there will be a lot of excitement and adrenalin today, and we’d have to control it. They did a fantastic job pulling together as a team and with her energy,” Brun said. “Aileen gets up there and she’s so natural in that spot, how she doesn’t do too much. I told her they throw a rise ball, so just hit through it, and that’s exactly what she did. “(Gardiner) has been trained to be the closer since the fall. That’s not normal … we knew we needed a whole staff, and Allie has embraced the position. She may throw four innings, sometimes for two, and she’s just so calm. She stayed composed the whole time.” Championship Round Day 2
IOWA STATE 5, LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 2 FORT COLLINS, CO – Taylor Nearad drilled a bases-loaded double into center field with two outs in the top of the seventh, driving in three runs and cementing Iowa State’s rally as the Cyclones slipped past Loyola Marymount in an elimination game for the 2019 NISC. The victory sends Iowa State (37-24) into Sunday’s title game against UT Arlington at 12 p.m. MT. The Cyclones will have to beat the Mavericks twice in this double-elim bracket. In the seventh, Mikayla Ramos was hit by a pitch from Linnay Wilson, who had pitched two perfect innings of relief to that point. After a sacrifice bunt, an infield error and a strikeout, LMU (40-21) chose to intentionally walk leadoff hitter Sami Williams, which loaded the bases and brought up Nearad. With two strikes, she laced a shot to center to score three runs. Talyn Lewis put the bat on the ball next, and on an error, another run scored, making it 5-2 for the Cyclones. Emma Hylen pitched 2 1/3 innings in relief for ISU, allowing one hit and one walk, striking out four batters. Savannah Sanders threw a great game as the starter for the Cyclones as well, allowing four hits in 4 2/3 innings. In the bottom of the seventh, the Lions got two runners on base, but a tapper to Hylen was tossed to first for the final out. This is the most victories for an Iowa State team since 1989. Both teams scored early; Williams doubled and scored on a Lewis grounder for ISU, and Megan Martin homered for Loyola Marymount. With the score tied at 1-all, LMU put runners on second and third with two outs, and Maddison Flores punched in a single to score Sierra Marshall and take a 2-1 lead. Championship Round Day 2
UT ARLINGTON 6, LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 3 FORT COLLINS, CO – UT Arlington advanced to Sunday’s title game in the 2019 NISC, breaking open its contest Saturday against Loyola Marymount with three runs in the sixth inning. The Mavericks (35-27) will be back on the field Sunday at 12 p.m. for the title game, and if they lose they still get one more shot in the double-elim bracket. LMU (40-20) plays later Saturday against Iowa State, with the loser of that one heading home. Both teams brought in a single run in the first inning. LMU got a first-pitch leadoff double from Molly Grumbo, and she scored on a single from Delanie Wisz. The Mavericks countered with a two-out RBI single from Aileen Garcia; they went ahead an inning later on back-to-back two-out doubles from Bri Burchianti and Melanie Mendoza. Garcia drove in Laura Curry to make it 3-1 in the fifth inning. In the sixth, Whitney Walton drove in a run, and another came across on an error during the play, and then Krista Rude singled in one more run with two outs, on her third hit of the day. Randi Phillips got the win for UTA, pitching 4 1/3 innings and allowing four hits to go with five strikeouts. Freshman Allie Gardiner came in to relieve, and she pitched 2 2/3 innings, giving up two runs in the final frame. Championship Round Day 2
IOWA STATE 7, LIBERTY 2 FORT COLLINS, CO – Back-to-back home runs from Sami Williams and Taylor Nearad got the offense going for Iowa State, and Savannah Sanders pitched six strong innings as the Cyclones topped Liberty in an elimination game Saturday at the NISC. With the victory, Iowa State (36-24) advances to the 4 p.m. MT game Saturday, set to face Loyola Marymount or UT Arlington in hopes of moving on to Sunday’s title game. Liberty’s season comes to a close with a record of 40-22. The Flames jumped ahead 1-0 in the first inning on an RBI double from Sarah Robertson, but the Cyclones answered with five runs in the bottom of the frame. After the long balls from Williams and Nearad, Mikayla Ramos drove in two more with a single, on a play where Liberty missed potential outs on two baserunners. Logan Schaben got the final RBI of the inning on a bunt that scored Ramos on a close play at the plate. Williams (RBI double) and Nearad (run-scoring groundout) struck again in the fourth inning as Iowa State edged ahead, 7-1. Sanders worked around four errors by the defense, allowing eight hits. The first two batters on the seventh for Liberty reached base, and Emma Hylen came in to relieve – Hylen struck out two batters and got the final out on a tapper to the circle. Championship Round
UT ARLINGTON 9, LIBERTY 8 FORT COLLINS, CO – Trailing 6-0 after four innings, UT Arlington stitched together a remarkable comeback, scoring nine runs in the final three innings to conclude its rally against Liberty and advance in the winner’s side of the NISC Championship Round. The Mavericks (34-17) will take on Loyola Marymount on Saturday, with the winner getting a chance to play for the 2019 title. Liberty (40-21) faces Iowa State on Saturday in an elimination game. UT Arlington took advantage of four Liberty errors to stay in range. In the seventh inning, trailing 8-6, Avery Grimes lashed a single to shortstop that brought in the Mavs’ seventh run, and with two outs, Whitney Walton hit a single to put UT Arlington up, 9-8. In the bottom of the frame, Liberty’s Madison Via reached on a walk, but she was doubled up on a popout on a bunt attempt. Mavericks freshman Allie Gardiner got three outs in the seventh for the save. After entering the day with no home runs at all for the season, Autumn Bishop launched two bombs for Liberty in Friday’s game and drove in five runs. Twin sister Amber Bishop hit a two-run homer in the first inning. Grimes scored an unearned run for the Mavericks in the top of the fifth inning to get UT Arlington on the scoreboard. Laura Curry’s 88th hit of the season, tops in NCAA D-I softball, allowed UT Arlington to tie the game at 6-all, but Autumn Bishop’s second home run pushed the Flames ahead, 8-6. Championship Round
LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 6, IOWA STATE 5 FORT COLLINS, CO – Samantha Manti threw 4 2/3 innings of quality relief for Loyola Marymount, who came back from a 5-1 deficit against Iowa State and finished off the rally with two runs in the top of the seventh to advance in the NISC Championship round. With two outs and the bases loaded in the seventh inning, Maddison Flores stroked a two-run single to cap the comeback for the Lions (40-19). Manti (15-6) came in the third inning and was next to flawless, allowing only a home run to Sami Williams, which was her school-record 16th of the season. Iowa State (35-24) scored two runs in the first inning, then extended the lead to 4-1 on a two-run single from Skyler Ramos. LMU began its comeback in earnest with a solo home run by Riley Ehlen, making it 5-2 in the fifth. Two more runs came across in the sixth, on an RBI single from Flores and a sacrifice fly from Delanie Wisz. Andrea Gonzalez doubled off the right field wall with one out in the seventh for LMU; a foul-out to left field and a walk, Iowa State almost had the play it needed, but an error by pitcher Emma Hylen extended the inning. Loyola Marymount will play the winner of Friday’s second game, either Liberty or UT Arlington, while Iowa State will play the loser in an elimination game Saturday. PURDUE 3, EASTERN KENTUCKY 1
AMES, IA – Fresh off a days rest, Purdue moved past Eastern Kentucky, 3-1, to move on in the 2019 Postseason NISC. Purdue (33-28) will play South Dakota State in the next round of the Iowa State Regional on Saturday, May 18 at 11:30 a.m. CT. Mallory Baker recorded all three of the Boilermaker’s RBI, launching a solo shot in the first inning and an RBI double in the fifth with the bases loaded. Eastern Kentucky’s Zoe Mihalicz hammered an RBI double in bottom of the fourth for the Colonel’s only run. Maddie Damon, Kaitlynn Moody and Sydney Bates all combined for the winning effort in the circle. MARSHALL 4, KENT STATE 2 LYNCHBURG, VA – Marshall dropped its opening game of the 2019 Postseason NISC against George Washington. Since Thursday, the Herd have rallied for three straight victories, including a 4-2 win over Kent State, earning the right to play Liberty for the Regional Championship. Mya Stevenson was nearly unstoppable, launching a three-run home run in the first inning to give Marshall the early lead, 3-0, and delivering a solo shot in the third, extending the advantage, 4-1. The Thundering Herd (42-21), will play Liberty for the Regional Championship Saturday at 1 p.m. ET. Marshall will need to beat the Flames twice to move to the Championship Round. Jen Cader notched an RBI single in the third and Hunter Brancifort homered in the sixth inning for Kent State. Abigail Tolbert (28-17) threw seven complete innings, struck out three in her win for Marshall. LIBERTY 7, MARSHALL 0 LYNCHBURG, VA – For the second time in three years the Liberty Flames are headed to the Postseason NISC championship round after defeating Marshall 7-0 on a warm, sunny day in Lynchburg, Va., at Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium. Liberty will now travel to Fort Collins, Colo., to play in the four-team championship round at the newly-renovated TC Colorado Field on May 24-27. Liberty recorded 10 hits an no errors in the victory and moves to 40-20 on the season. Marshall’s season ends with a 42-22 record. A sac bunt by senior Sarah Robertson would score Autumn Bishop and give the Flames an early 1-0 lead after the first inning. Bishop would single to right scoring Madison Via and Jasmeen Click would add another run on a throwing error to increase the Liberty lead to 3-0 in the fourth. The Flames would score four runs in the fifth to give Liberty a 7-0 lead over The Herd. Beginning with a sac fly from Kaitlin McFarland knocking in Robertson and an RBI single from Denay Griffin scoring Emily Kirby. A pop-up blooper would drop for Via scoring Griffin and Autumn Bishop would drill a line drive off the top of the glove of the Marshall first baseman as Via crossed home. It was a terrific outing for Liberty senior pitcher Chase Cassady who threw seven innings recording four strikeouts, three hits and no runs. The Liberty Flames are looking to be the first two-time champion since the Postseason NISC was revived by Triple Crown Sports in 2017. PURDUE 4, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 1 AMES, IA – Determined not to bow out of the NISC just yet, won its second consecutive game on Saturday, moving past South Dakota State, 4-1, to earn a spot in the Regional Championship. Mallory Baker continued her hot day at the plate. The senior broke open the scoring with an RBI double in the third inning. Two batters later, Jenny Behan followed up Baker’s effort with an RBI of her own to give the Boilermakers an early 3-0 lead. Sydney Bates returned to the circle after pitching earlier in the morning to give Purdue five full innings. The Florida native struck out seven and gave up just one hit before turning the keys over to Maddie Damon. South Dakota State (37-19) threatened with the bases loaded in the sixth inning. Sydney Bates returned to action, forcing Lyndsey Crist to strike out swinging. Baker returned to the plate in the sixth to give the Boilermakers some insurance, knocking in Halle Hixenbaugh to extend the lead, 4-0. Mallory McQuistan managed an RBI single with the bases loaded in the final frame for the Jack Rabbits. Purdue (34-28) will face Iowa State for the Regional Championship at 2 p.m. CT. UT ARLINGTON 4, MCNEESE STATE 3 (10) NACOGDOCHES, TX – Despite dropping the first game of the Regional Championship,6-1, UT Arlington crawled all the way back from a 3-0 deficit to win, 4-3, in 10 innings over McNeese State and advance to the NISC Championship Round. The Mavericks will travel to TC Colorado Field in Fort Collins, Colorado for the Championship Round. Action begins on Friday, May 24. In game one, UT Arlington threatened early with bases loaded in the top of the 3rd inning. Alexsandra Flores wiggled her way out of the jam and left the Mavericks blanked on the scoreboard. Flores relied heavily on her defense, forcing 11 ground outs and nine fly outs in the opening contest. Justyce McClain’s RBI single broke the deadlock in the bottom end of the 3rd. The Cowgirls exploded for four more runs on a hits from Aubree Turbeville and Demi Boudreaux, and sacrifices from Cory McCrary and Kaylee Lopez. Whitney Walton’s sacrifice gave UT Arlington a run in the fifth inning. Demi Boudreaux added a sixth insurance run in the sixth for McNeeese State (33-32). Thirty minutes later, the two schools were back on the diamond for the decisive matchup Both teams were in their respective grooves until the third inning. Kaylee Lopez, Aubree Turbeville and Toni Perrin each recorded a hit in the frame and vaulted McNeese State to a 3-0 advantage. UT Arlington (33-27) were not about to go down quietly, however, Shelbi Court struck in the fifth inning with an RBI single to get the Mavericks on the board. In sixth, Laura Curry delivered a clutch two-RBI double to tie the game at three. Neither side could muster a run as the game stretched well into extra innings. With two outs and two on, Aileen Garcia swung on the first pitch she saw, sending the ball to centerfield and bringing Krista Rude home for the game-winning run. It’ll be the second straight year UT Arlington will play in the NISC Championship Round. IOWA STATE 5, PURDUE 3 AMES, IA – Talyn Lewis and Sydney Stites powers Iowa State to 5-3 win over Purdue as the Cyclones capture the regional championship and advance to Colorado for the final round of the Postseason NISC. The Cyclones finished the five-team region 3-0 and defeated Purdue twice during the three-day round hosted by Iowa State in Ames, IA. The Cyclones started the scoring in the first with an RBI double by Lewis scoring Sami Williams. After a scoreless second, Purdue’s Lexi Huffman would blast a two-run bomb to give the Boilermakers a 2-1 lead. However, Iowa State’s Stites would respond with a two-run jack of her own to regain a 3-2 lead for the Cyclones in the bottom of the third. Lewis would record her second double of the game scoring Kaylee Bosworth and Williams to move the Iowa State lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth. Solid pitching and stout defense for Iowa State held the Boilermakers hitless and scoreless in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. A solo homer with two outs in the seventh by Purdue’s Rachel Becker would give the Boilermakers hope of a possible comeback but a pop up from the next batter would end the game. Iowa State joins UT Arlington, Liberty and the Nevada/LMU winner in the championship round slated for May 24-26 at TC Colorado Field in Fort Collins, Colo. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 11, NEVADA 6 RENO, NV – Loyola Marymount lost to Nevada in the opening game of the Regional on Thursday. Saturday afternoon was a different story as the Lions clipped the Wolfpack twice, advancing to the NISC Championship Round. LMU will head to TC Colorado Field in Fort Collins, Colorado. Championship play will begin on Friday, May 24. Home runs powered the Lions to victory in the opening Regional Championship Contest. Molly Grumbo launched a solo shot in the third inning to give the Lions the momentary lead. With the game tied in the final frame, Maddison Flores came through in the clutch with a two-run shot to force a decisive game against Nevada. Sierra Mello Contributed an RBI double in the third inning, while Kenzi Goins homered in the fourth for the Wolfpack. Nevada’s Kendall Fritz walked only one and struck out three in the circle. For LMU, the combined effort of Hannah Bandimere and Samantha Manti were enough to force an extra contest. Ashley Salausa made sure the Wolfpack were off to a hot start in final game. Salausa and Gutierrez combined for two RBI, giving Nevada the lead, 2-0. Loyola Marymount would respond, though, scoring four runs in the fourth inning on four hits, including a Desiree Moreno home run, vaulting the Lions on top, 5-2. Rachel Rodriguez and the Wolfpack would go back to work at the plate in the bottom half of the frame. Rodriguez jump-started the inning with a home run, Kenzi Goins continued the scoring with a two-RBI single and Dallas Millwood made the comeback complete with her RBI single. Suddenly, Nevada had clawed its way back to the lead, 6-5. Making a habit out of solo home runs, Molly Grumbo tallied another in the fifth inning, followed quickly by RBI from Irma Sanchez and Riley Ehlen as the lead shifted back to Loyola Marymount, 8-6. An error in the sixth inning and a pair of hits in the seventh gave LMU three more insurance runs to seal the victory and the Regional Championship, 11-6. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 11, NEVADA 6
RENO, NV – Loyola Marymount lost to Nevada in the opening game of the Regional on Thursday. Saturday afternoon was a different story as the Lions clipped the Wolfpack twice, advancing to the NISC Championship Round. LMU will head to TC Colorado Field in Fort Collins, Colorado. Championship play will begin on Friday, May 24. Home runs powered the Lions to victory in the opening Regional Championship Contest. Molly Grumbo launched a solo shot in the third inning to give the Lions the momentary lead. With the game tied in the final frame, Maddison Flores came through in the clutch with a two-run shot to force a decisive game against Nevada. Sierra Mello Contributed an RBI double in the third inning, while Kenzi Goins homered in the fourth for the Wolfpack. Nevada’s Kendall Fritz walked only one and struck out three in the circle. For LMU, the combined effort of Hannah Bandimere and Samantha Manti were enough to force an extra contest. Ashley Salausa made sure the Wolfpack were off to a hot start in final game. Salausa and Gutierrez combined for two RBI, giving Nevada the lead, 2-0. Loyola Marymount would respond, though, scoring four runs in the fourth inning on four hits, including a Desiree Moreno home run, vaulting the Lions on top, 5-2. Rachel Rodriguez and the Wolfpack would go back to work at the plate in the bottom half of the frame. Rodriguez jump-started the inning with a home run, Kenzi Goins continued the scoring with a two-RBI single and Dallas Millwood made the comeback complete with her RBI single. Suddenly, Nevada had clawed its way back to the lead, 6-5. Making a habit out of solo home runs, Molly Grumbo tallied another in the fifth inning, followed quickly by RBI from Irma Sanchez and Riley Ehlen as the lead shifted back to Loyola Marymount, 8-6. An error in the sixth inning and a pair of hits in the seventh gave LMU three more insurance runs to seal the victory and the Regional Championship, 11-6. IOWA STATE 5, PURDUE 3
Ames, IA – Talyn Lewis and Sydney Stites powers Iowa State to 5-3 win over Purdue as the Cyclones capture the regional championship and advance to Colorado for the final round of the Postseason NISC. The Cyclones finished the five-team region 3-0 and defeated Purdue twice during the three-day round hosted by Iowa State in Ames, IA. The Cyclones started the scoring in the first with an RBI double by Lewis scoring Sami Williams. After a scoreless second, Purdue’s Lexi Huffman would blast a two-run bomb to give the Boilermakers a 2-1 lead. However, Iowa State’s Stites would respond with a two-run jack of her own to regain a 3-2 lead for the Cyclones in the bottom of the third. Lewis would record her second double of the game scoring Kaylee Bosworth and Williams to move the Iowa State lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth. Solid pitching and stout defense for Iowa State held the Boilermakers hitless and scoreless in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. A solo homer with two outs in the seventh by Purdue’s Rachel Becker would give the Boilermakers hope of a possible comeback but a pop up from the next batter would end the game. Iowa State joins UT Arlington, Liberty and the Nevada/LMU winner in the championship round slated for May 24-26 at TC Colorado Field in Fort Collins, Colo. UT ARLINGTON 4, MCNEESE STATE 3 (10)
NACOGDOCHES, TX – Despite dropping the first game of the Regional Championship, UT Arlington crawled all the way back from a 3-0 deficit to win, 4-3, in 10 innings over McNeese State and advance to the NISC Championship Round. The Mavericks will travel to TC Colorado Field in Fort Collins, Colorado for the Championship Round. Action begins on Friday, May 24. In game one, UT Arlington threatened early with bases loaded in the top of the 3rd inning. Alexsandra Flores wiggled her way out of the jam and left the Mavericks blanked on the scoreboard. Flores relied heavily on her defense, forcing 11 ground outs and nine fly outs in the opening contest. Justyce McClain’s RBI single broke the deadlock in the bottom end of the 3rd. The Cowgirls exploded for four more runs on a hits from Aubree Turbeville and Demi Boudreaux, and sacrifices from Cory McCrary and Kaylee Lopez. Whitney Walton’s sacrifice gave UT Arlington a run in the fifth inning. Demi Boudreaux added a sixth insurance run in the sixth for McNeeese State (33-32). Thirty minutes later, the two schools were back on the diamond for the decisive matchup Both teams were in their respective grooves until the third inning. Kaylee Lopez, Aubree Turbeville and Toni Perrin each recorded a hit in the frame and vaulted McNeese State to a 3-0 advantage. UT Arlington (33-27) were not about to go down quietly, however, Shelbi Court struck in the fifth inning with an RBI single to get the Mavericks on the board. In sixth, Laura Curry delivered a clutch two-RBI double to tie the game at three. Neither side could muster a run as the game stretched well into extra innings. With two outs and two on, Aileen Garcia swung on the first pitch she saw, sending the ball to centerfield and bringing Krista Rude home for the game-winning run. It’ll be the second straight year UT Arlington will play in the NISC Championship Round. |