2015 NCAA Softball Tournament: Regionals Day 2 Wrap Up
The first full day of regionals took place on Friday, May 15 for the 2015 NCAA Division 1 Softball Tournament. It was a long day of softball, but an incredible first full day. A recap of each game by regional is below.
Note: Games will be added to their respective regional as they are completed.
Gainesville Regional
Hofstra was able to beat Florida Atlantic 1-0 thanks to a left field line blooper by Brittany Allocca. Taylor Pirone came on in relief for Hofstra and pitched three innings while giving up only one hit and striking out four batters.
Florida Atlantic had a nice chance to score in the top of the third by loading the bases, but a fielder’s choice ended that scoring threat. The Owls had another chance an inning later, but that ended with Kiley Southall being thrown out at home by Hofstra’s Caryn Bailey.
Hofstra had their own opportunity in the bottom of the fourth. A walk by Kim Smith, a single by Lacey Clark, and a passed ball put runners on second and third with no outs. However, Kylee Hanson was able to get out of the jam for FAU by getting a ground out, a strike out, and pop out to keep it scoreless.
FAU had another chance in the fifth, but Lindsey Shell was thrown out at home. In the bottom of the sixth, Smith was hit by a pitch, was then sacrificed over to second, and then a strike out left Hofstra with two outs. Allocca’s hit was right down the left field line and the throw home was not nearly good enough to get Smith.
Hofstra will face the winner of the Florida and Florida A&M game while the loser of that game will face Florida Atlantic.
Florida A&M Versus Florida Recap
The defending national champions and #1 overall seed Florida Gators had little trouble in their opening regional game. They took an early lead and went on to win 6-0 over Florida A&M.
Kelsey Stewart led off with a triple and that was followed up by Nicole DeWitt bringing her home with a double. DeWitt later scored on an error by Florida A&M. The Gators added another run in the third inning when Lauren Haeger singled home Kirsti Merritt to make it 3-0 after three innings.
The Gators added a run in each of the final three innings (fourth through sixth) as well. Stewart had an RBI groundout in the fourth, Taylore Fuller had a sacrifice fly in the fifth, and Merritt walked in a run to make it 6-0.
The Gators’ Aleshia Ocasio had a spectacular game throwing a complete game shutout and striking out 17 batters while giving up only one hit and one walk.
The Gators will take on Hofstra in the first game on Saturday while Florida A&M will face Florida Atlantic. The Hofstra-Florida loser will face the FAMU-FAU winner in the third game.
South Bend Regional
A close game between Northwestern and Kentucky kicked off the South Bend Regional with Kentucky squeaking out a 5-4 win. Rachael Metzger‘s RBI single in the bottom of the sixth proved to be the difference.
The game began with little in the way of scoring chances. Northwestern had a chance to score in the top of the fourth, but Kentucky’s Kara Howard threw out Andrea Filler at home to keep the game scoreless. Kentucky drew first blood in the bottom half of the fourth with Griffin Joiner doubling to bring home Sylver Samuel. Joiner later scored on a throwing error by Northwestern’s Andrea DiPrima to make it 2-0 after four.
Northwestern came alive in the top half of the fifth with a four running inning. DiPrima made up for her error in the previous inning by singling home two runs to tie the game at 2. Northwestern scored two more, first when Fran Strub came across the plate after a throwing error and then when Filler scored on a single by Sammy Nettling.
Kentucky did not let Northwestern enjoy that lead very long with Nikki Sagermann drilling a two run homer in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game at 4. Kentucky took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth when Rachael Metzger singled home Maisie Steed.
Northwestern did have a chance to at least tie the game in the top of the seventh. They loaded the bases with two outs, but Meagan Prince struck out Julia Kuhn to end the game.
Kentucky will face the winner of the Ball State-Notre Dame game while Northwestern will face the loser of that contest.
Ball State Versus Notre Dame Recap
The first shocking upset of the 2015 NCAA Softball Tournament came when Ball State defeated the #16 overall seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish 6-3.
Selena Reyna started the game with a lead-off home run for Ball State, but that was countered by an RBI single from Micaela Arizmendi in the bottom of the first inning.
There was a bit of a lull in action until the fourth inning when Ball State used another home run to take the lead again. Sammi Cowger hit a two run shot to right field to make it 3-1. The Cardinals extended the lead to 6-1 in the top of the fifth following a two run triple by Emily Dabkowski and a fielder’s choice by Hanne Stuedemann.
The Irish got one run back in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly from Emilee Koerner. The Irish used a third sacrifice fly in the sixth inning from Morgan Reed to make it 6-3, but that would not be nearly enough.
Ball State’s Nicole Steinbach pitched a complete game giving up six hits, three runs, and striking out three Irish batters.
Ball State will take on Kentucky in the winner’s bracket while Notre Dame will face Northwestern with the loser of that game eliminated from the tournament.
Tallahassee Regional
The first game in the Tallahassee Regional featured South Carolina and Central Florida. The pitching duo of Mackenzie Audas and Shelby Turnier allowed UCF to win 4-1.
The Gamecocks had a chance to grab the lead in the second inning with the bases loaded and only one out. However, Audas forced a fielder’s choice and then forced a pop out to her catcher to get out of the jam.
The Gamecocks loaded the bases again in the top of the third inning, but were unable to capitalize with two outs as Olivia Lawrence struck out to end the inning. That would also mark the final batter faced for Audas as Turnier came on in relief.
The bottom of the fourth gave UCF the lead. After two batters were hit by pitches, an infield single by Maddy Schroeder opened the scoring to make it 1-0. The next batter was Linnea Goodman and she reached on a fielder’s choice as two more runs scored due to a throwing error.
UCF added a fourth run in the fifth inning to make it 4-0 before the Gamecocks put their only run on the board in the top of the seventh on a double by Victoria Williams. Turnier pitched the final four innings to close the game out.
Central Florida will face the winner of the Dartmouth versus Florida State game. South Carolina faces the loser of that game on Saturday.
Dartmouth Versus Florida State Recap
A long rain-delay was not a problem for Florida State as they defeated Dartmouth 5-1 in the second Tallahassee regional game on Friday. Two RBI’s each from Maddie O’Brien and Ellie Cooper helped propel the Seminoles on offense.
Cooper brought her two runs home in the first inning after a single by Morgan Klaevemann and walk by Jessica Warren. Cooper singled to left field and FSU led 2-0 after one inning.
Dartmouth had a chance to respond in the second inning following a single by Kristen Rumley and two wild pitches by Lacey Waldrop. After walking Chloe Madill, Waldrop was able to force a double play to get out of the jam. Dartmouth also had another chance in the top of the third inning with a runner on third and one out, but were unable to get the run across yet again.
In the bottom half of the third inning, the rain began to fall, which delayed the game nearly 4 hours. Upon resumption of the game, Dartmouth scored in the top of the fourth with a single by Katie McEachern to cut the deficit in half at 2-1. FSU came back in the bottom half to with an RBI double by Klaevemann to restore the lead at 2 runs, 3-1.
Maddie O’Brien hit a two run shot to right field in the sixth inning to finish off the scoring. Jessica Burroughs came on in relief of Lacey Waldrop to pitch 3 1/3 scoreless innings while giving up one hit and striking out 4.
Florida State will play Central Florida on Saturday in the first game while Dartmouth falls into the loser’s bracket and will take on South Carolina. The winner between Dartmouth and South Carolina will face the loser between Florida State and Central Florida in the third game on Saturday.
Knoxville Regional
Utah led from start to finish in their opening game against Virginia Tech as they won 6-1. Home runs from Kate Dickman and Bridget Castro propelled the Utes to a comfortable win.
Dickman homered in the bottom of the first with a solo blast to start the Utes off on the right foot. Castro hit her home run in the bottom of the third and also brought home Hannah Flippen. Later in the third, Kristen Stewart double and then came home following a single from Heather Bowen. It was 4-0 after three innings.
The fourth produced two more runs for Utah. First, Shelby Pacheco hit an RBI double to bring home Anissa Urtez and then a passed ball allowed Maddy Woodard to score. Lauren Gaskill hit a solo home run in the top of the sixth as the lone run for Virginia Tech.
Utah will take on the winner of Longwood and Tennessee while the Virginia Tech will face the loser of that game.
Longwood Versus Tennessee Recap
Tennessee was led by Erin Gabriel‘s 13 strikeout performance in a complete game shutout where she only gave up one hit and allowed one walk. Tennessee won 2-0 on Friday.
The Volunteers scored their first run in the third inning when Megan Geer singled home Meghan Gregg to make it 1-0.
Longwood was in position to score in the top of the fourth, but Gabriel struck out the final two batters to end that threat. Tennessee then added an insurance run in the bottom half of the inning when Tory Lewis singled up the middle to bring home Lexi Overstreet.
Longwood had another runner reach scoring position following a sacrifice bunt and then moved to third on a wild pitch. However, Gabriel forced a fly out to end the top of the fifth. Longwood would not have another runner reach base in the final two innings.
Tennessee will take on Utah in the opening game on Saturday while Longwood faces elimination when they face Virginia Tech. The winner between Longwood-Virginia Tech faces the loser of the Tennessee-Utah game.
Baton Rouge Regional
The game between Nebraska and Arizona State waited until late to provide the scoring, but it was Arizona State who came out on top 5-2. Bethany Kemp hit a three run double in the bottom of the sixth to lift the Sun Devils.
The Sun Devils had a glorious chance to score in the bottom of the first. They had the bases loaded with only one out, but a strike out and ground out ended that opportunity.
ASU had another chance in the bottom of the fourth when they drew three straight walks to load the bases with one out again. Back to back ground outs ended the threat once more.
In the sixth inning, Nebraska used back to back singles and then a wild pitch to put runners on second and third. A sacrifice fly from Alicia Armstrong made it 1-0 and a subsequent single from Steph Pasquale made it 2-0 after the top of the sixth.
In the bottom half of the sixth inning, Arizona State finally were able to score. An error by Nebraska allowed Abby Spiel to make it 2-1. Kemp came up four batters later and drilled a double to right field that cleared the bases and made it 4-2 in favor of ASU. Amber Freeman singled as the next hitter and added an insurance run at 5-2.
Nebraska was unable to answer in the top of the seventh and ASU won 5-2. The Sun Devils will face the winner of the LSU and Texas Southern game from Friday. Nebraska will take on the loser of that LSU-Texas Southern contest.
Texas Southern Versus LSU Game Recap
LSU dominated Texas Southern in their game in the first two innings and coasted home. LSU put up 15 runs in the first two innings while winning 15-0.
LSU put up a 10 spot in the bottom of the first. Bailey Landry hit a two run homer and that was immediately followed by a solo shot from Blanka Bell. Emily Griggs had a two RBI double while A.J. Andrews and Kellsi Kloss both had RBI singles.
In the bottom of the second, LSU put up another 5 runs courtesy of a wild pitch, an RBI single from Andrews, a two run triple from Bell, and an RBI single from Sahvanna Jaquish.
Kelsee Selman pitched a complete game shutout going 5 innings and striking out 7 batters. She allowed only 3 hits and two walks.
LSU will play Arizona State on Saturday in the winner’s bracket while Texas Southern takes on Nebraska in the loser’s bracket.
Tucson Regional
The Tucson Regional opened with Minnesota taking care of business against New Mexico State, 10-2. Hannah Granger went 3 for 4 with two RBI and one run scored.
New Mexico State was able to start fast in the top of the first with Staci Rodriguez hitting a two run bomb. That lead did not last as Minnesota used an error by NMSU, an RBI double from Granger, and a two run single from Taylor LeMay to take a 4-2 lead after the first inning.
The Gophers added to that lead in the second with RBI singles from Danielle Parlich and Kaitlyn Richardson. LeMay was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 7-2 before Sara Groenewegen was thrown out at home trying to tag.
The Gophers were not done with the early game scoring. Parlich had another RBI single as did Granger to build the Minnesota lead to 9-2 after three inning.
NMSU had a chance to try and cut into the big deficit with runners on second and third with one out. A pop out and strike out ended that attempted rally. The Gophers would end the game in the bottom of the sixth with the run rule after Erica Meyer hit a sacrifice fly that scored Ellie Cowger.
Minnesota will face the winner of the St. John’s and Arizona contest. The loser of that game will play New Mexico State on Saturday.
St. John’s Versus Arizona Recap
Arizona left it late in the game to beat St. John’s, but used a four run burst in the fifth and sixth innings to win 4-2.
St. John’s took the lead in the top of the fourth after a single from Savannah Warren and Arizona came back and tied it in the bottom of the fifth. Hallie Wilson hit a solo shot while the Wildcats would take the lead an inning later.
The sixth began with a lead off home run by Chelsea Goodacre to make it 2-1 and Lauren Young used the long ball as well to make it 4-1 with a two run shot to left center.
St. John’s pulled one run back when Mo Mercado of Arizona could not field the ball properly. The Red Storm still had no outs on the board and runners on the corner. However, Arizona did not let another run across the plate and held on for the 4-2 win.
Arizona faces Minnesota on Saturday in the winner’s bracket while St. John’s will take on New Mexico State in the loser’s bracket.
Lafayette Regional
Baylor was able to defeat Mississippi State in the first game of the Lafayette Regional 8-4 though the game was delayed early due to lightning from storms in the area.
The Bulldogs took the lead in the top of the first when Julia Echols tagged from third on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Alexis Silkwood. Baylor came back in the bottom half of the first with RBI singles from Ari Hawkins and Shelby Friudenberg. Hawkins later stole home to make it 3-1 after the first frame.
The Bulldogs were able to get one run back with RBI ground out by Katie Anne Bailey. The Bears, however, tagged the Bulldogs for three more runs in the bottom of the third. Sarah Smith singled to left field to bring in two runs while Jessie Scroggins singled to left center and brought in the third run to give Baylor the 6-2 lead.
Mississippi State was still fighting in the fourth and climbed back within two thanks to the two run homer by Caroline Seitz. Baylor answered with a two run shot of their own courtesy of Friudenberg that provided an 8-4 scoreline after four innings.
Friudenberg finished the game 2 of 2 with three RBI, a walk, a run, and of course the two run shot in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Baylor will face the winner of the Louisiana-Lafayette and Weber State contest. The loser of that game will face Mississippi State in an elimination game.
Weber State Versus Louisiana-Lafayette Game Recap
Louisiana-Lafayette had to wait a long time to play their game against Weber State due to the weather, but they made quick work of the Wildcats in a run rule shortened game. The Ragin’ Cajuns won 11-0.
Shellie Landry hit a triple and then scored on an RBI ground out by Lexie Elkins to make it 1-0 after one inning. Haley Hayden hit a two run homer in the second, which was followed by Landry’s solo shot and Louisiana led 4-0 after two innings.
The Ragin’ Cajuns made it no contest in the third inning by putting a 7 spot on the scoreboard. Leandara Maly had an RBI single, Sara Corbello was hit by a pitch that scored a run, and a throwing error allowed two runs to score on a hit by Hayden. Elkins made it a lucky 7 when she cleared the bases with a three run homer.
Louisiana-Lafayette will take on Baylor in the first game on Saturday in the winner’s bracket. The loser’s bracket will feature Weber State and Mississippi State with the loser of that game eliminated from the tournament.
Auburn Regional
South Alabama absolutely crushed Chattanooga 11-1 in the opening game of the Auburn Regional to move into the winner’s bracket. Devin Brown came in after two outs for South Alabama to pitch 4 1/3 innings of shutout ball. She allowed only a single hit and struck out 8 batters.
Sarah Beth Roberts put Chattanooga on the board with a solo shot, but it was all South Alabama after that. Two errors by the Mocs brought home two runs for South Alabama and gave them a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish.
In the bottom of the second, Kaitlyn Griffith singled to left field that scored two runs and that was immediately followed up with a bases clearing triple by Amanda Minahan made it 6-1. The third inning produced three more runs for the Jaguars. Stephanie Pilkington‘s single to left field scored one run and Chloe Rathburn‘s double to the gap in left center scored the other two runs.
In the bottom of the fourth, Emily Messer had an RBI single right back to the pitcher and Kristian Foster had a single to left field that capped the scoring for the game. The run rule was in effect as South Alabama did not have to bat in the bottom of the fifth inning.
South Alabama awaits the winner of Tennessee Tech and Auburn while the loser of that game will face Chattanooga.
Tennessee Tech Versus Auburn Recap
Auburn overcame a slow start against Tennessee Tech to win 4-1 on Friday in their Regional.
Auburn’s Tiffany Howard was able to get as far as third base in the first inning, but a strike out ended that frame. Tennessee took the lead in the top of the third with a solo blast from Kelly Kennedy.
Auburn responded in the bottom half of the fourth inning with Morgan Estell‘s double down the right field line to score Branndi Melero. Haley Fagan then sacrificed out to center field to score Victoria Draper and give Auburn a 2-1 lead they would not give back.
The Tigers tacked on another two runs in the fifth after an RBI single from Kasey Cooper and a walk by Estell that brought home Emily Carosone. The Tigers would then shut down Tennessee Tech the final two innings.
Auburn will face South Alabama on Saturday while Tennessee Tech will take on Chattanooga. The loser between Auburn and South Alabama will face the winner of Tennessee Tech and Chattanooga in the third game on Saturday.
Ann Arbor Regional
California opened up their first game of the Ann Arbor Regional by run-ruling Pittsburgh 11-3 in five innings. The Bears racked up 12 hits while Kobie Pettis went 1 for 2 with 3 RBI and 2 runs.
Pittsburgh opened the scoring in the top of the second with a double by Jordan Fannin that scored Carly Thea. Fannin later scored on a sacrifice fly by Kathryn Duran to make it 2-0.
California answered back in a big way in the bottom half of the inning. Kylie Reed singled home one run, Britt Vonk sacrificed one run home, Cheyenne Cordes had a two run single, and Pettis cleared the bases with a three run shot to make it 7-2 after two innings.
Jenna Modic got one back for Pittsburgh with her solo shot in the third inning, but that would be as close as they would get. California loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the fifth before Alleah Laxamana hit a two run double to left field to bring home Pettis and Danielle Henderson. Reed then brought home Breana Kostreba while Jazmyn Jackson ended the game with a single to left field that scored Brianna Massey.
Cal’s Katie Sutherland-Finch pitched five innings, striking out four batters while giving up three runs, five hits, and only walking one batter.
California will face the winner of Oakland and Michigan on Saturday while the loser of that game will take on Pittsburgh.
Oakland Versus Michigan Game Recap
Megan Betsa struck out 10 batters and Haylie Wagner pitched two perfect innings to lead Michigan past Oakland 9-1 in a game cut short by the run rule.
The Wolverines got on the board in the bottom of the first with a sacrifice fly by Lauren Sweet that scored Sierra Lawrence. They doubled their lead in the second inning when Nikki Wald scored on a throwing error by Oakland.
Oakland halved the deficit with a solo blast from Laura Pond in the top of the third. However, Michigan came back with a five run frame in the bottom of the third to put enough distance between the two teams.
Lindsay Montemarano double to right center field to bring home Kelsey Susalla. A walk by Abby Ramirez brought in a run as did Lawrence when she was hit by a pitch. Sierra Romero then came up and drove home two runs on her single to left field to make it 7-1.
In the bottom of the fifth Lawrence scored her second run of the game on an error by Oakland’s Sarah Hartley while Taylor Swearingen‘s double to the gap in right center ended the game as Montemarano came home to make it a 9-1 final.
Michigan will take on California on Saturday with the loser of that game facing the winner between Oakland and Pittsburgh. The winner between Michigan and California will play again on Sunday.
Athens Regional
An excellent complete game, one-hitter by Western Kentucky’s Miranda Kramer has put them in the winner’s bracket of the Athens Regional. She had 7 strikeouts and only walked on batter as the Hilltoppers won 2-1.
Western Kentucky took the lead in the top of the third inning with a two run single by Shawna Sadler. A throwing error by the Tar Heels helped get one of the runners into scoring position.
Kramer had a perfect game going through four complete innings, but started the bottom of the fifth with a walk. In the bottom of the seventh, Kramer gave up a solo home run to Kristen Brown, but came right back to strike out the final batter.
Western Kentucky faces the winner of the Central Connecticut State and Georgia game. Meanwhile, North Carolina will face the loser of that contest.
Central Connecticut State Versus Georgia Recap
Georgia needed a big sixth inning to put away Central Connecticut State, but got the job done in a 6-1 victory on Friday. Chelsea Wilkinson pitched seven innings giving up only one run, five hits, and two walks while striking out 12 batters.
CCSU’s Katie Schmidt hit a solo shot to left center field to give them the lead in the third inning, but the Bulldogs responded in the bottom half of the inning with a sacrifice fly in foul territory from Alex Hugo.
The Bulldogs had a runner on third in the fifth inning, but Sydni Emanuel flied out to end the scoring threat. The bottom of the sixth inning provided the Bulldogs with the breakthrough they needed. Hugo led off with a solo shot before back to back RBI singles from Paige Wilson and Kaylee Puailoa. Maeve McGuire hit a solo shot of her own and Emanuel made it 6-1 with a suicide squeeze bunt.
Georgia will take on Western Kentucky in the winner’s bracket on Saturday while Central Connecticut State faces North Carolina in the loser’s bracket. The loser of the first game and winner of the second game will play one another in the final game on Saturday.
Norman Regional
A tight game between Lehigh and Texas A&M resulted in the Aggies winning by the slim margin of 2-1. Ashley Walters brought home the eventual winning run in the bottom half of the fifth inning.
Lehigh broke through first with Jessica Calvini‘s sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth inning to score Alexis Watanabe. Texas A&M answered right away in the bottom half of the inning with Kirsten Cuyos‘ solo shot to tie the game at one.
Lehigh had a chance to retake the lead in the top of the fifth. They had the bases loaded with only one out, but Watanabe hit a ball to center that was caught and then thrown back home to get Katie Schultz out on the tag.
The Aggies took the lead in the bottom of the fifth, but they played small ball to get the runners into position. They started with a bunt single and walk before another bunt, this one a sacrifice by April Ryan. Two batters later, Walters came up and hit the single to right field that scored Tori Vidales.
Lehigh had a few more chances with runners on third in the final two innings, but were unable to get the tying run across.
Texas A&M has moved to the winner’s bracket and will face either Oklahoma or Central Arkansas. Lehigh will face the loser of that game.
Central Arkansas Versus Oklahoma Recap
Oklahoma used a six run first inning to put Central Arkansas away while run ruling them with an 8-0 win. Paige Parker and Kelsey Stevens combined to throw a no-hitter for Oklahoma in only five innings of action.
The bottom of the first saw the bases loaded for Oklahoma with two outs followed by a walk to Georgia Casey to make it 1-0. Lea Wodach came up next and belted a grand slam to make it 5-0. Whitney Ellis then tripled and was brought home on a single by Nicole Pendley.
Oklahoma added another run in the second inning after a double by Shelby Pendley and a single by Parker to make it 7-0. The game ended in the bottom of the fifth inning with Tori Nirschi singling to right field and scoring Lauren Chamberlain. The run rule ended the game at that point, 8-0.
The Oklahoma Sooners will face the Texas A&M Aggies in the first game on Saturday while Lehigh and Central Arkansas will face each other in the second game on Saturday.
The loser between Oklahoma and Texas A&M will play again on Saturday, facing the winner between Lehigh and Central Arkansas. The loser of the third game on Saturday will be eliminated.
Tuscaloosa Regional
The opening game of the Tuscaloosa Regional saw the Washington Huskies beat South Carolina Upstate 4-1. The Huskies were led by catcher Kimberlee Souza who went 3 for 3 with 2 RBI including a solo shot in the fifth inning.
Washington scored first in the bottom of the first when Kylee Lahners crossed the plate after a wild pitch. The Spartans responded immediately in the top of the second in part due to an illegal pitch by Kasey Stanchek. A suicide squeeze bunt from Cheyenne Griffin brought home Kendsey Chappelear to tie the game at one apiece.
The bottom of the third for Washington saw a solo shot by Taylor Van Zee before Souza came up and brought another run home to make it 3-1 after three. Souza later homered in the fifth inning to make it a 4-1 final.
Washington’s Kasey Stanchek pitched a complete game with five strikeouts while only giving up one run, two hits, and three walks.
The Huskies will face the winner of the Fairfield-Alabama game on Saturday. South Carolina Upstate plays the loser from that game with those two teams facing elimination on Saturday.
Fairfield Versus Alabama Recap
Alabama had no trouble in their opening regional game against Fairfield. Sydney Littlejohn gave up only 2 hits in a complete game shutout as the Crimson Tide won 8-0 in six innings thanks to the run rule.
Alabama opened the scoring in the bottom of the first thanks to back to back RBI singles from Jadyn Spencer and Leona Lafaele. The third inning saw the lead double to 4-0 after a two run shot by Danae Hays that followed a double by Lafaele.
Haylie McCleney hit a solo shot in the fourth inning while a walk by Hays set up Chaunsey Bell for an RBI triple in the fifth inning. Also in the fifth, Kallie Case hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Bell. Carrigan Fain‘s left field single ended the game at 8-0 as Spencer crossed home plate for the final run of the game.
Alabama will take on the Washington Huskies in the first game on Saturday. The winner of that game will have a break until Sunday while the loser of that game will face the winner of the game between Fairfield and South Carolina Upstate.
The losers of the second and third games on Saturday from Tuscaloosa will be eliminated from the tournament.
Los Angeles Regional
Texas and San Diego State put up runs early, but the Longhorns proved a bit too much for the Aztecs. Erin Shireman went 3 for 4 with a solo home run, two runs scored, and 3 runs batted in during Texas’ 8-3 win.
The Aztecs got out to a quick start with Kayla Jordan scoring on a fielding error, an RBI single to left field by Taylor Stewart, and Jenavee Peres scoring on a fielding error.
Texas came back in the bottom half with RBI singles from Shireman and Kelli Hanzel. The penultimate batter of the inning, Gabby Smith, cleared the bases with a double to center and making it 5-3 Texas after one inning.
Shireman added another RBI single in the second inning to make it 6-3 while Lindsey Stephens drew a walk in the third inning to drive home another run and make it a 7-3 Texas lead.
Shireman hit her solo home run in the fourth inning while the Aztecs struggled to make a rally. Gabby Smith, in addition to her three run double, pitched a complete game. She allowed three runs, seven hits, one walk, and struck out 8 batters.
Texas will face either UCLA or Cal State Northridge on Saturday. The loser of the UCLA-Cal State Northridge game will play San Diego State.
Cal State Northridge Versus UCLA Game Recap
UCLA used a nine run barrage in the third and fourth innings to run rule Cal State Northridge 9-1 on Friday night.
CSUN started well in the first inning when Katie Hooper hit a solo home run to right field to make it 1-0. The Bruins had a chance to at least tie the game in the bottom of the second, but were unable to take advantage of the bases loaded with one out.
The bottom of the third saw Alexis Bennett lead off with a double and that was followed up by a two run shot from Ally Carda. Stephany LaRosa made it back to back jacks with a solo shot of her own and UCLA led 3-1 after three batters. The Bruins got yet another home run two batters later when Mysha Sataraka hit her own two run bomb to make it 5-1.
In the fourth inning, UCLA was able to add two runs after a throwing error by CSUN. A double from Gabrielle Maurice made it 8-1 and it was 9-1 after four innings following Sataraka’s sacrifice fly.
UCLA will play Texas on Saturday in the opening game while the second game will be between Cal State Northridge and San Diego State. The loser of the first game and winner of the second game will play again on Saturday.
Columbia Regional
Kansas held on to a 1-0 win in what was a defensive game between the Jayhawks and Louisville. Kansas pitcher Alicia Pille threw a complete game shutout with four strikeouts and allowing only one walk and one hit.
Kansas had the bases loaded in the bottom of the second with one out, but were unable to get any runs across as they grounded into a double play. Kansas did score in the bottom of the third with Daniella Chavez singling home Chaley Brickey.
Pille continued to dominate in the circle and had little trouble the rest of the way for the Jayhawks. Kansas will face either Missouri or Indiana State on Saturday while Louisville will face the loser of that contest.
Indiana State Versus Missouri Recap
Missouri won their first game of Columbia Regional thanks in large part to a three run home run by Jordan Zolman. Missouri defeated Indiana State 7-0 while surrendering only 2 hits to the Sycamores.
Missouri got on the board early despite Amanda Sanchez grounding into a double play that scored Taylor Gadbois. The Tigers would not score again until the fifth inning when a fielder’s choice by Corrin Genovese got Crane home. The next batter was Kelsea Roth who drove home Sanchez. Zolman then came up and delivered her three run home run to make it 6-0.
Sanchez added another RBI in the sixth with a single right up the middle to make it 7-0. Missouri will face Kansas on Saturday in the first game while Indiana State and Louisville will face off the in loser’s bracket. The loser between Missouri and Kansas and the winner between Indiana State and Louisville will face each other in the third game on Saturday.
Harrisonburg Regional
North Carolina State kicked off the Harrisonburg Regional in offensive style by throttling Fordham 12-5 on Friday. Five different Wolfpack hitters had two runs batted in.
NC State took a 1-0 lead after the first inning, but Fordham put a four spot on the board in the top of the second. Brianna Turgeon brought home two runs on a single, but the Wolfpack also helped out with two throwing errors.
The Wolfpack loaded the bases in the bottom of the second and eventually scored two runs to cut the deficit to 4-3. Maggie Hawkins hit a solo shot to tie the game in the bottom of the third while Fordham regained the lead in the top of the fourth with a home run of their own by Lindsay Mayer.
The Wolfpack erupted in the bottom of the fourth to take command of the game. Meredith Burroughs started the scoring with a two run double and a series of three throwing errors helped the Wolfpack make it 10-5 after four innings.
The Wolfpack made it 12-5 after Renada Davis‘ two run homer in the bottom of fifth. Courtney Mirabella pitched 2 1/3 innings in relief of starter Emily Weiman. She did not allow a run while only giving up one hit and striking out 3.
NC State will face the winner between Binghamton and James Madison while Fordham will face the loser of that game.
Binghamton Versus James Madison Recap
James Madison is hosting their first regional in school history and the proved on Friday they deserved in by defeating Binghamton 10-1 in five innings.
Binghamton had Jessica Rutherford on third base after her double and a wild pitch, but were unable to get her home. James Madison pushed the first run across in the bottom of the second when Taylor Newton stole home and give the Dukes a 1-0 lead.
Binghamton tied the game up in the fourth inning when Lisa Cadogan drilled a solo shot. James Madison responded in the bottom half of the inning with RBI singles from Jessica Mrozek and Niki Prince.
The fifth inning ultimately ended the game early as James Madison scored 7 runs in their frame. Newton had an RBI double, Tahli Moore an RBI single, Erica Field had a two RBI single, Prince scored on a wild pitch, and Megan Good ended the game with a two run double.
James Madison will face North Carolina State in game one on Saturday while Binghamton and Fordham will play in the second game. The winner between Binghamton-Fordham and loser between James Madison-North Carolina State will play in the third game on Saturday.
Eugene Regional
The Eugene Regional began with the two winners from Thursday in North Dakota State and Oregon. The Ducks held on for the 4-3 victory and stand just one win away from the Super Regionals.
The Bison jumped out to an early lead with a Cheyenne Garcia solo homer and Oregon was unable to mount a response until the fourth inning. In the bottom of the fourth, Janie Takeda led off with a double and then scored when the next batter, Jenna Lilley, singled. Lilley was brought home on a double by Hailey Decker. Decker later scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-1 before Koral Costa hit a solo home run to left field. Oregon led 4-1 after four innings, but the Bison made it tough.
In the top of the sixth, Alex Sobrero led off with a single and that was followed up by Logan Moreland hitting a two run shot to right center to cut the deficit to 4-3. The Bison tried to tie the game in the top of the seventh, but were unable to get the runner home from second and fell just short at 4-3.
Cheridan Hawkins had a good day despite the three runs given up. She had 11 strikeouts while pitching another complete game.
Oregon faces the winner of Friday’s final game on Saturday. Oregon will need to lose twice in order to be eliminated. North Dakota State falls to the loser’s bracket and will face the winner of BYU and Fresno State.
BYU Versus Fresno State Game Recap
The first elimination game of the 2015 NCAA Softball Tournament was an entertaining one that saw BYU hold on for an 8-7 victory over Fresno State.
Michelle Solomon hit a solo homer in the bottom of the first to give Fresno the 1-0 lead. BYU took a while to get their offensive going, but exploded in the fourth inning. A double from Alexa Strid brought two runs home to give BYU the 2-1 lead. Lacey Hofstedt then came up and singled up the middle to bring home another two runs and Lauren Bell singled to right field to make it 5-1 BYU after the top of the fourth inning.
Fresno State cut the four run deficit in half during the bottom of the fourth with singles by Bria Kennedy and Whitney Smith. The Bulldogs reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fifth with a three run frame. A throwing error and wild pitch put runners on second and third. The next two batters would get them both home a sacrifice fly and single. A fielder’s choice later in the fifth by Smith made it 6-5.
In the top of the sixth saw BYU regain the lead right back. Hofstedt scored on a throwing error by Fresno State to tie the game at six. Two batters later, Mercedes O’Connor hit a two run shot to left field to make it 8-6.
Fresno State mounted one last rally in the bottom of the seventh. Alyssa Villalpando led off the frame with a solo shot to make it 8-7 in favor of BYU, but the next three batters went down in order to end the game.
BYU will face North Dakota State again on Friday night with the loser of that game eliminated. Whichever team wins between BYU and NDSU will need to defeat Oregon twice on Saturday to reach the Super Regionals.
North Dakota State Versus BYU Game Recap
North Dakota State dominated BYU from the start of the game to set up a rematch with Oregon on Saturday. Krista Menke pitched another good game going with a complete game shutout in the Bison’s 7-0 win over the Cougars.
The Bison scored in the top of the first after a double from Cheyenne Garcia and a subsequent double from Alyssa Reina that scored Garcia. The second inning also put another run on the board for NDSU. Jackie Stifter walked to lead off the inning, then stole second, and ended up on third after an error. She later scored on an infield single by Katie Shoultz.
The Bison continued to pad their lead in the third inning as well. Amanda Grable singled to center to bring home both Garcia and Logan Moreland. The fourth inning saw Reina have another RBI hit, which made it 5-0 after four innings.
The Bison added another run in both the fifth and sixth through an Jenna Isbel single and Stifter single respectively. The Bison were unable to score in the seventh, ending their streak of six straight innings with at least one run to start the game against BYU.
Krista Menke finished the game giving up three hits and allowing one walk while striking out 9 batters. North Dakota State will face Oregon on Saturday, but will need to win twice in order to make the Super Regionals.