University of St. Thomas Athletics
44-9
Salisbury
43-3
Extra-inning loss ends season for Softball
5/25/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball
St. Thomas softball took a season-ending 3-2 loss to Salisbury (Md.) in nine innings Sunday to at the Division III national tournament in Tyler, Texas.
It was a disappointing ending for Coach John Tschida's team (44-9), which will finish either tied for third or fourth place. Salisbury (43-3) advances to Monday's championship round.
The Tommies nearly had a walkoff win in the last of the eighth inning but Jenna Hoffman was tagged out at home to complete a double play.
With one out, Hoffman walked and reached second on Bianca Peterson's single. Hoffman stole third, creating a potential victory via single, sac fly or wild pitch. Emily Gregory's popped out into foul territory behind first base. The fielder caught the ball running awy from the field but turned and put the relay throw in a perfect spot up the line as the catcher kept Hoffman from reaching the plate and applied the tag.
A two-out bases-loaded single by Sea Gulls All-America shortstop Kim Dorsey snapped a 2-2 tie in the top of the ninth.
The Tommies' Brenna Walek missed a game-tying solo home run in the last of the ninth by a six feet as her high fly ball dropped over the fence just into foul territory in the left-field corner.
UST's Kendra Bowe relieved starter Katie Jo Delisle in the fourth inning and got out of a bases-loaded jam. Bowe pitched a strong game and allowing two runs in five 2-3 innings in taking the extra-inning loss.
Erin Mussett's RBI single tied the game in the sixth inning. Mussett and Peterson each had two hits to lead an eight-hit attack.
Three of the Toms' four games at nationals were decided by one run. It's St. Thomas' fifth top-five national finish in softball in the last 13 seasons.
Hoffman and Gregory set a school record for games played in a season as they each started all 53. They led a 10-player senior class which won a remakable 164 games over four seasons.
Gregory went 8-for-12 in the four games at nationals. Hoffman singled and walked on Sunday and closed with 81 hits. That broke Carrie Embree's 2006 conference record (80) for most hits in a season.
Click here for box score:
http://www.ncaa.com/game/softball/d3/2014/05/25/salisbury-st-thomas-mn
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Rachel Johnson (28-2)
L: Bowe, Kendra (23-7)
Batting:
2B: Paige Knussman 2
3B: Kim Dorsey 1
RBI: Kim Dorsey 1 ; Paige Knussman 2
SH: Molly Simpson 1 ; Rachel Johnson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Angelia McDowell 1 ; Kim Dorsey 1 ; Angela Malgieri 1
Batting:
RBI: Mussett, Erin 1
SH: Meg DuPuis 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Peterson, Bianca 1 ; Bigelbach, Kirstin 1
SB: Hoffman, Jenna 1 ; Peterson, Bianca 1
CS: Mcquillan, Maria 1
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
