D 3 softball

[WLCALUM83]

Another last chance at-bat for DePauw, 3 to  tie, 4 to force a 2nd game, (Kelsey Bernhardt isn't due to bat until 6th down the line, let's see if the Tigers have any more to pull out of their hat.)

Ground-out to 1st        1 Out
Fly-out to center          2  Outs
Ground out to 2nd        3 Outs!

Final:  Marlins 3, DePauw 0.

VA Wes is in the Final Series!

[deiscanton]

Final score--

Virginia Wesleyan 3, DePauw 0 DePauw eliminated.  Virginia Wesleyan advances to the Championship Series and will play Texas Lutheran starting tomorrow.

Best of 3 Championship Series-- Virginia Wesleyan vs Texas Lutheran

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

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

Game 3 (if necessary)-- Tuesday, June 1-- first pitch no earlier than 1:30 PM Eastern.

[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-- Result

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

Saturday, May 29, 2021

Elimination game-- Result

9 AM Eastern-- Pod 2 Game 3-- St. Thomas (MN) 2, Rochester 1.  (Rochester eliminated.)

Winners bracket games-- The plan is to play those 2 games on separate fields in the Moyer Sports Complex simultaneously with first pitch in both games starting at 9:45 AM Eastern.

Pod 1 Game 4 -- Texas Lutheran 7, DePauw 4

Pod 2 Game 4-- Virginia Wesleyan 12, Birmingham-Southern 1 (F/5 inn-- 8 run rule)

Elimination games-- Updated to reflect a switch in pods between teams-- Both games underway as of 12:46 PM Eastern-- Results

Pod 1 Game 5 (UW-Oshkosh vs Birmingham-Southern)-- Birmingham-Southern 2, Oshkosh 1. (Oshkosh eliminated).

Pod 2 Game 5  (St. Thomas (MN) vs DePauw)-- DePauw 3, St. Thomas (MN) 2. (St. Thomas (MN) eliminated)

Sunday, May 30, 2021-- Pod Championship Day-- Results

Noon Eastern-- Pod 1 Game 6-- Texas Lutheran 9, Birmingham-Southern 1 (F/5 inn-- 8 run rule) (BSC eliminated)

2:30 PM Eastern-- Pod 2 Game 6-- Virginia Wesleyan 3, DePauw 0 (DePauw eliminated)

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

Texas Lutheran vs Virginia Wesleyan

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

[WLCALUM83]

Previous 2 Tournament Champs go at it in the last best of 3, TLU took it all in '19, VA Wes in '17 and '18.

[deiscanton]

Team lineups are in for Game 1--

Starting pitchers--

Virginia Wesleyan-- Hanna Hull

Texas Lutheran-- Sydney Ouellette

Stream on ncaa.com starts at 3 PM Eastern.  Stream will also simulcast live on B/R Live for Roku TVs and other streaming televisions.  On-demand replay will also be available after the game on B/R Live and ncaa.com

Only 1 game today.  Game 2 will be tomorrow at 11 AM Eastern, with Game 3 to follow after that if necessary.

[WLCALUM83]

VA Wes high K pitcher vs. Bulldogs change-speed pitcher--

Developing. . .

[deiscanton]

After 1 inning--

Virginia Wesleyan 4, Texas Lutheran 0

After 1 out, we started with a triple followed by a sac bunt that scored the first run.  A throwing error followed by a hit by pitch got runners on first and second, and a three run homer by Karlee Fretz drove them in.

In the bottom of the first, the Marlins scored 4 runs on 2 hits with 1 TLU error and no runners LOB.

[deiscanton]

Middle of 2nd

Virginia Wesleyan 4, Texas Lutheran 2

Haley Padilla hits a 2 run homer for the Bulldogs to cut the Marlins' lead in half.

In the top of the 2nd, the TLU Bulldogs score 2 runs on 2 hits, no Va. Wesleyan errors, no runners LOB.

[WLCALUM83]

Now, can TLU keep the Marlins off the scoreboard, or at least within close striking distance?

Bulldogs have 2 come-from-behind wins in this tournament-vs. Tufts and DePauw earlier--

[WLCALUM83]

Still VA Wes 4, TLU 2 Top of 6 (2nd time in game, Bulldogs get out of a bases-loaded jam without much damage done--)

[WLCALUM83]

VA Wes is 3 outs away from taking Game 1.

[WLCALUM83]

Final:  VA Wes 4, Texas Lutheran 2  Hanna Hull tosses yet another complete game win.

[deiscanton]

Final:  VA Wes 4, Texas Lutheran 2  Hanna Hull tosses yet another complete game win.

Very convincing win for the Marlins in Game 1.  I have to make Virginia Wesleyan the favorite to win the title tomorrow, especially since playing in Salem, VA makes the Marlins the "home team" in this series. 

[WLCALUM83]

Final:  VA Wes 4, Texas Lutheran 2  Hanna Hull tosses yet another complete game win.

Very convincing win for the Marlins in Game 1.  I have to make Virginia Wesleyan the favorite to win the title tomorrow, especially since playing in Salem, VA makes the Marlins the "home team" in this series. 

I agree, the Marlins' overall team-wide balance has come through big time all tournament, pitching and hitting have been more consistent than any other team to this point.

[Caz Bombers]

Hull seems like the most obvious "why isn't she on D1 scholarship" pitcher at this level since Fournier of Tufts, who was an absolute cheat code, the stud of all studs.