D 3 softball

[WLCALUM83]

One of my cousin's daughters played for UW-Oshkosh some 5-10 years back, so you know who she's pulling for right now.

[deiscanton]

The quality of the ncaa.com play by play and commentary this week from Salem, VA is the same quality as if ESPN3 was doing the streaming of this national championship.  I only wish ESPN3 or ESPN+ was simulcasting this stream, so I could watch it naturally on my Roku TV.

Update-- Of course, it would sound like an ESPN crew doing this weekend's coverage.  The play by play is being done this weekend by Lincoln Rose, who does a lot of all NCAA.com video broadcasts across all the divisions of the NCAA (with a lot of expertise in covering DII and DIII sports on his resume), and the color commentary is being done this weekend by Dr. Megan Turk (Baylor softball class of 2011-- does regular color commentary for the SEC Network.)

[justafan12]

Depauw wins 2-1.  Last out appears to be runners interference on an attempted double play. 

[WLCALUM83]

Final:  Texas Lutheran comes up with a 3-spot to stun Tufts, 4-3!

That 3-spot was one more run than the Jumbos had allowed in all of their games in their regional-

[WLCALUM83]

Game 3 scoop:  Per live stats on VA Wes feed-the Marlins' Hannah Hull is listed to go against St. Thomas' Kersten Anderson-Glass.

[WLCALUM83]

VA Wes 3, St. Thomas-MN 0 final  Hull tosses another complete game shutout.

[WLCALUM83]

BSC is starting Lauren Keplinger in tonight's finale against Rochester's Hannah Leahy.

[deiscanton]

Starting time for first elimination game moved up an hour tomorrow to 10 AM Eastern.  All other starting times tomorrow moved up an hour respectively.  Some rain may be moving in to the Salem, VA area sometime in the day tomorrow, and the NCAA DIII Softball Tournament Committee wants to play as  many games of the 4 scheduled as possible. 

Update-- National Weather Service Weather forecast for Salem, VA is calling for the possibility of 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch of rain in showers falling during the daytime hours today (Firday, May 28.)

[WLCALUM83]

And if the one in progress ends up getting suspended (currently 2-2 tie, bottom of 7th, things really get interesting.

This one's going to extra innings, guys--

[WLCALUM83]

I'll give my takes on the elimination games:

UW-Oshkosh/Tufts:  East squad will stay alive. Jumbos want to make a statement after seeing victory slip away the way it did earlier today.

St. Thomas/Rochester; Rochester--more long-ball power (BSC pitcher Bryan was smart, not allowing Rochester hitters to get any more contact than long foul balls more often than not- and Rochester couldn't string together enough in play hits to plate the run they needed to win)---. 

Now, the other 2:

DePauw/TX Lutheran:  DePauw- Henry continues to pitch lights out.

VA/Wes-BSC:  With Marlins' Hull pitching, I'm going with VA Wes in a tight one.

(I'll be away from my computer until sometime tomorrow afternoon, again.)

Congrats to justafan12 who got all 4 picks right--

[WLCALUM83]

BSC's Leah Wood just belted a HR to left centerfield, BSC wins, 3-2.  W  Bryan  L Sharloch 

[deiscanton]

Schedule for the DIII Softball National Championships-- (informally known as the DIII Softball World Series)

Thursday, May 27, 2021-- Results

Pod 1 (4 team double elimination)

Game 1-- #1 DePauw vs #8 UW-Oshkosh -- DePauw 2, UW-Oshkosh 1.
Game 2-- #4 Texas Lutheran vs #5 Tufts-- TLU 4, Tufts 3.

Pod 2 (4 team double elimination)

Game 1-- #2 Virginia Wesleyan vs #7 St. Thomas (MN)-- Virginia Wesleyan 3, St. Thomas (MN) 0
Game 2-- #3 Birmingham-Southern vs #6 Rochester-- Birmingham Southern 3, Rochester 2 (F/9 innings).

The Pod 1 and Pod 2 winners (i.e. the last team standing in each pod) will play each other in a Best of 3 series for the National Championship.

Friday, May 28, 2021

Elimination bracket games (Weather delay on start of first game-- new start time is approximate).

11:30 AM Eastern-- Pod 1 Game 3  UW-Oshkosh 7, Tufts 1  (Tufts eliminated)

2 PM Eastern-- Pod 2 Game 3 (St. Thomas (MN) v Rochester)

Winners bracket games

4:30 PM Eastern-- Pod 1 Game 4 (DePauw v Texas Lutheran)

7 PM Eastern-- Pod 2 Game 4 (Virginia Wesleyan v Birmingham-Southern)

Saturday, May 29, 2021

Elimination games only--

1 PM Eastern-- Pod 1 Game 5 (UW-Oshkosh vs Loser of P1G4)

3:30 PM Eastern-- Pod 2 Game 5  (Winner of P2G3 vs Loser of P2G4)

Sunday, May 30, 2021-- Pod Championship Day

Noon Eastern-- Pod 1 Game 6 (Winner of P1G4 vs Winner of P1G5)

2:30 PM Eastern-- Pod 2 Game 6 (Winner of P2G4 vs Winner of P2G5)

5:30 PM Eastern-- Pod 1 Game 7 (if winner of P1G5 wins P1G6)

8 PM Eastern-- Pod 2 Game 7 (if winner of P2G5 wins P2G6)

Best of 3 National Championship Series between the Pod Champions for the DIII Softball National Championship

Game 1-- Monday, May 31, 2021-- 3 PM Eastern

Game 2-- Tuesday, June 1, 2021-- 11 AM Eastern

Game 3 (if necessary) Tuesday, June 1, 2021-- 1:30 PM Eastern

[deiscanton]

Elimination game 1 underway from Moyer Park--

Middle of 1st--  UW-Oshkosh 3, Tufts 0 

Top of 1st-- UW-Oshkosh scored 3 runs on 4 hits, no Tufts errors, 1 LOB.

[justafan12]

Starting time for first elimination game moved up an hour tomorrow to 10 AM Eastern.  All other starting times tomorrow moved up an hour respectively.  Some rain may be moving in to the Salem, VA area sometime in the day tomorrow, and the NCAA DIII Softball Tournament Committee wants to play as  many games of the 4 scheduled as possible. 

Update-- National Weather Service Weather forecast for Salem, VA is calling for the possibility of 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch of rain in showers falling during the daytime hours today (Firday, May 28.)

AKA the NCAA wants teams to be eliminated today so that they don't have to pay another night of lodging and meals for the teams. 

[justafan12]

I'll give my takes on the elimination games:

UW-Oshkosh/Tufts:  East squad will stay alive. Jumbos want to make a statement after seeing victory slip away the way it did earlier today.

St. Thomas/Rochester; Rochester--more long-ball power (BSC pitcher Bryan was smart, not allowing Rochester hitters to get any more contact than long foul balls more often than not- and Rochester couldn't string together enough in play hits to plate the run they needed to win)---. 

Now, the other 2:

DePauw/TX Lutheran:  DePauw- Henry continues to pitch lights out.

VA/Wes-BSC:  With Marlins' Hull pitching, I'm going with VA Wes in a tight one.

(I'll be away from my computer until sometime tomorrow afternoon, again.)

Congrats to justafan12 who got all 4 picks right--

Thanks WLCALUM83, a little late inning heroics helped me out.

Based on my history over the past 10 years or so, there was always a blowout or two at D3 World Series (not supposed to use those words I know).  There just seemed to always be a team that was there from a weaker regional and SR that would get run ruled.  This years' teams all  look to be pretty well matched based on first round games; 3 1-run games.

And hats off to Hull from VWU.  Took a line drive off the pitching hand yesterday.  Stayed in and recorded the CG shutout.

My today picks:

Tufts (down 3-0 after 1 but I would have picked them before game started so staying with them)
St. Thomas
DePauw
VWU