D 3 softball

[WLCALUM83]

Belhaven 2, Millikin 1  Final (That group sigh of relief is coming from all the Blazer followers--)

The Blazers left 10 runners on base in the game, and Millikin darn near made them pay for it in the Big Blue's last AB--Tennison-that was only her 2nd HR all season. After  Holland's double, one more hit in the outfield gap and it would have been Heartbreak Hotel for Belhaven).

Kennedy Carruth tosses a 4-hit complete game to get the win.

Blazers next get Calvin tomorrow.         

[deiscanton]

Final of Game 3 from Decatur, IL:  Belhaven 2, Millikin 1.

Winning pitcher:  Kennedy Carruth-- gave up 1 run on 4 hits.

Losing pitcher:  Aly Armstrong-- gave up 2 runs on 5 hits, but struck out 11 batters.


Day 2-- Friday, May 21

Game 5:  #1 DePauw v #3 Millikin-- 10 AM Central-- (Elimination game for Millikin)

Game 6:  #4 Belhaven v #5 Calvin-- noon Central scheduled start.

Game 7:  #6 Mt. St. Joseph v either #3 Millikin (if Millikin wins Game 5) or loser of Belhaven/Calvin (if DePauw wins Game 5).-- 2 PM Central scheduled start.  (Elimination game)

Game 8:  #1 DePauw v either (1) winner of Belhaven/Calvin (if DePauw wins Game 5) or (2) loser of Belhaven/Calvin (if DePauw loses Game 5)-- 4 PM Central scheduled start.

[WLCALUM83]

Since I'll be away from my computer until mid-afternoon tomorrow-here are the numbers on tomorrow's games I'm following closely.

Waverly IA:

MSOE/Coe:  Pitching match-up probable starters  Raiders' Lorrin Pondo (20-3, 1.35 ERA going in) vs Kowahks' Ellie Thurow (12-6, 3.56 ERA) or Hannah Ausenhus (10-4, 3.92). Pondo is the type of pitcher whose strong suit to this point has been keeping hitters off-balance by changing speeds.

MSOE offense:  If Kara McKenna gets on base a lot, look out! McKenna and Morgan Long are the Raiders' 2 HR threats (former hit 5 and latter hit 4, respectively). Fielding pct. (.977)

Coe offense: Kohawk squad has hit 30 HR's on the season, compared to MSOE's 10. (Skyler Stookey, Bree Engelsen and Megan Weber are the most consistent long-ball threats). Fielding pct. (.954)

UW-Oshkosh:

IL College/UW-Oshkosh:  Pitching match-up starters  IL College Sydney Hood (13-5, 1.29) vs. UW-Oshkosh's Maddie Fink (16-3, 2.29)
IL College team fielding pct. (.952) Offense doesn't rely on the long ball a lot. Titan's main longball threat is Morgan Rau (4 HR)
Titan's team batting avg. (.320) IL College (.390)

St. Olaf:

UW-Superior/St. Olaf:  Probable starters--WI squad Tayler Kraemer (15-8, 2.21) vs St Olaf's Julie Graf (20-5, 1.21). Long ball threat advantage-definitely St. Olaf 17 HR's (Mattheis 6, DeCroock and Grismer 3 each) to UW-Superior's 2. Fielding Pct. St. Olaf (.965), UW-St. Olaf (.955)   

[deiscanton]

Preview-- Game 1 from Bangor, Maine Regional

#1  Husson (27-1) v #6 Endicott (19-2)  First pitch scheduled for 10 AM Eastern.

Starting pitchers-- Team news from Endicott in at 9:52 AM Eastern.

Husson:  Jen Jones (12-0, 1.24 ERA)

Endicott: Michaela Hamill (6-1, 1.11 ERA)

Husson:  .362 batting average, .432 OBP, .477 Slugging pct.  .967 Fielding pct.

Endicott:  .374 batting average, .448 OBP, .580 Slugging pct.  .960 Fielding pct.

Endicott offense:  Gulls squad has hit 27 HR's on the season, compared to Husson's 8

Husson long ball threat:  Kenzie Dore (4 HR's, 35 RBIs on the season)

Endicott long ball threats:  Meghan Connor (9 HR's, 33 RBIs on the season), and Adrianna Favreau (6 HRs, 31 RBIs on the season)  Lauren Miasiaszek and Raven Comtois also hit 4 HR's each on the season.

[deiscanton]

Teams in the Bangor, Maine regional-- offense-- Home runs hit per contest.

1.)  Endicott-- 1.286 home runs per contest (27 home runs in 21 games played).

2.)  Eastern Connecticut-- 1.219 home runs per contest (39 home runs in 32 games played).

3.)  Brandeis-- 0.786 home runs per contest (11 home runs in 14 games played).

4.)  Tufts-- 0.500 home runs per contest (11 home runs in 22 games played)

5.)  Babson-- 0.313 home runs per contest (5 home runs in 16 games played)

6.)  Husson-- 0.286 home runs per contest (8 home runs in 28 games played).

Instructions to watch today's Bangor, Maine regional on Roku TV-- on the NSN app (Northeast Sports Network), click search by section, then hit the category of softball.  The links for today's games will then show up.

NSN Play by play announcer for the weekend:  Mike Violette
Color analyst:  Cole Hurlbert (Husson alum).

[deiscanton]

Update-- Bangor, Maine regional

Husson 2, Endicott 0  Bottom of first 1 out  Runners on second and third.

Husson has scored 2 runs on 1 hit and 2 Endicott fielding errors so far.

A 2 RBI single by Maddie Fowler now makes it Husson 4, Endicott 0 and Hamill has only lasted 1/3 of an inning.

Endicott calls to the bullpen for a pitching change.

Molly O'Neill to pitch for Endicott.  (3.42 ERA in 5 appearances-- 14.1 innings pitched this season.)

An RBI single on the 2nd go around of the inning by the original first batter now makes it Husson 5, Endicott 0 with 2 out.

The 6th run comes on a walk with the bases loaded.  Husson 6, Endicott 0

A 2 RBI base hit and an error by the Endicott catcher now makes it Husson 9, Endicott 0, and Husson can only shorten it to 5 innings.

(NSN is partly wrong-- The 8 run rule does apply in the NCAA DIII Softball Tournament, but the game must go at least 4 1/2 innings.)

After 1 inning:  Husson 9, Endicott 0  Husson scored 9 runs on 5 hits and 3 Endicott fielding errors in the bottom of the first.  That is a nightmare inning for the Gulls to say the least!

Mikaela Hamill for Endicott gave up 6 runs in the first-- 2 of which are earned runs.

[deiscanton]

Top of 2nd from Bangor, Maine--

Husson 9, Endicott 1  Endicott run comes on a triple and a RBI sacrifice fly.  There is now 2 out.

A bases clearing double with 2 out now makes it Husson 9, Endicott 3.

In the top of the 2nd-- Endicott scored 3 runs on 3 hits with no Husson fielding errors.  1 LOB.

Husson 9, Endicott 3 after 1 1/2 innings.

[deiscanton]

Top of 6th 2 out from Bangor, Maine

Husson 9, Endicott 4

Endicott has scored their 4th run of the day on an RBI single.  Runners still on second and third.

A walk now loads the bases with 2 out.  Conference on the mound.

Husson 9, Endicott 4 after 5 1/2 innings.

Endicott scores their run on 1 hit and 1 Husson fielding error.  3 LOB.

[deiscanton]

Bottom of 6th

2 Husson singles now have the winning runner at the plate with nobody out. 

Next batter does a 5-3 sacrifice to advance the runners to second and third.  1 out now.  Husson can end this game on the 8 run rule this inning by scoring 3 runs.  Winning runner still at the plate.

A fielding error with 2 out now makes it Husson 11, Endicott 4, and the winning runner on second.  A base hit now ends the game.

Base hit!  Ball game is over.  Final of Game 1: Husson 12, Endicott 4 (F/6 inn on 8 run rule-- Winning runner comes with 2 out.)

[deiscanton]

Remaining schedule today for Bangor, Maine regional:

Game 2-- #2 seed Babson v #5 seed Tufts  (update:  First pitch at 12:45 PM Eastern)

Game 3-- #3 seed Brandeis v #4 seed Eastern Connecticut State-- (update: First pitch no earlier than 2:45 PM Eastern)

Game 4-- #6 seed Husson v loser of Babson v. Tufts-- no earlier than 4 PM Eastern (elimination game)

Saturday, May 22, 2021

Game 5-- #1 seed Husson v loser of Brandeis v Eastern Connecticut-- 10 AM Eastern

Game 6-- Winner of Babson/Tufts vs winner of Brandeis/Eastern Connecticut-- noon Eastern

Once again, the final score of Game 1 is #1 Husson 12, #6 Endicott 4 (F/6 inn-- 8 run rule)

[deiscanton]

Finals from the other 10 AM Eastern Game 1 starts in other regions:

Erie, PA regional-- #1 St. John Fisher 10, #6 York (PA) 6

Virginia Beach, VA regional-- #1 Virginia Wesleyan 8, #6 Penn College 0 (F/5 inn 8 run rule)

[deiscanton]

Preview of Game 2-- Bangor, Maine

#2 seed Babson (15-1) vs #5 seed Tufts (17-5, 2 of the 5 losses is to DI Ivy League team Dartmouth).

Starting pitchers:

Babson-- Brooke Stock (9-0, 0.25 ERA)

Tufts-- Kristina Haghdan (6-3, 1.27 ERA)

Babson as a team has a .336 batting average, a .384 on base pct, and a .475 slugging pct.  Their fielding pct is .981

Tufts as a team has a .317 batting average, a .381 on base pct and a .423 slugging pct.  Their fielding pct is .960

[deiscanton]

Game 2 underway from Bangor, Maine

Tufts 0, Babson coming up to bat after 1/2 inning.

Babson pitcher Brooke Stock struck out 2 Jumbos in the top of the first.

1:17 PM Eastern update-- Tufts 0, Babson 0 after 1 1/2 innings.

[deiscanton]

Update from Decatur, IL Regional

Final game 5-- #1 DePauw 4, #3 Millikin 2 (Millikin eliminated)

Coming up today:

Game 6-- #5 Calvin v #4 Belhaven

Game 7-- #6 Mt. St. Joseph vs loser of Calvin/Belhaven (elimination game)

Game 8--  #1 DePauw v winner of Calvin/Belhaven

[deiscanton]

Of note from Bangor, Maine-- the umpire called Tufts pitcher Kristina Haghdan for 2 illegal pitches in the bottom of the second.  The illegal pitch calls may be for either (1) Haghdan did not take the signs from the Tufts catcher properly, or (2) Haghdan crow-hopped on the pitches.

Under the modern DIII softball rules, the penalty for an illegal pitch call is an automatic ball added to the ball-strike count.  In 2010, both illegal pitch calls would have been balks, and the baserunners would have automatically advanced one base.  (I remember this old rule from the 2010 NCAA regional game in Wellesley between Brandeis and Coast Guard on Day 2 of the regional.)