The Super Regional rounds are in the books, and the field is set for this weekend's D2 Softball College World Series in Salem Virginia. Humboldt State advanced to the championship round last fall before falling to 2016 National Champion North Georgia. The Jacks and top-ranked Angelo State headline the field, as the D2 Softball world will crown a new champion this weekend.
The bracket format will feature a double elimination tournament that includes two pods of four teams. The advancing team from each pod will then meet in a best-of-three game series on May 28-29 to determine the national champion.
Below we take a look at the action that brought them here, and the match-ups in the quest for the National Championship hardware.
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Game 1: Angelo State vs. Humboldt State
[credit] Top-seed Angelo State enters the CWS with a 57-5 record. Photo Courtesy Angelo State Athletics[/credit]
South Central Super Regional Results
Host: Angelo St. | |||
1 | May 18, 8 p.m. | Angelo St. vs. Texas Woman's | 5-0, Angelo St. |
2 | May 20, 1 p.m. | Angelo St. vs. Texas Woman's | 6-2, Angelo St. |
Angelo State wins South Central Super Regional |
Top-ranked Angelo State captured the South Central Super Regional Championship over Texas Woman's 6-2.
The game was tied at two after two innings, and the score held until the seventh frame. The Rambelles had the first chance to score in the seventh being the visiting team. A leadoff single by Madison Greenwell started the inning as she went 3-for-4 for the game. ASU had runners on first and second with two outs as Taegan Kirk stepped to the plate. The sophomore sent a ball past the shortstop that allowed Greenwell to score from second base for a 3-2 lead.
The inning continued as Alexis Evans sent the crowd into a frenzy with a towering three-run home run to centerfield. It is the senior's 10th home run of the season and increased the lead to 6-2.
Kenedy Urbany recorded the final three outs for her 21st win of the season after allowing only two hits and one run in 5.0 innings pitched.
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West Super Regional Results
Host: Humboldt St. | |||
1 | May 18, 6 p.m. | Humboldt St. vs. Dixie St. | 3-2 (8), Humboldt St. |
2 | May 19, 3 p.m. | Humboldt St. vs. Dixie St. | 8-6, Humboldt St. |
Humboldt State wins West Super Regional |
Humboldt State softball defeated Dixie State, 8-6, and captured its second straight West Super Regional Championship.
HSU plated two runs in the first two innings despite not recording a hit in either frame. Winona Vigil scored a run in the first with the help of a Dixie State fielding miscue, and Kelly Sonneman drove in the second run on a fielder's choice the following inning.
A second-inning scoring barrage from Dixie State's potent lineup erased HSU's 2-0 advantage and gave the Trailblazers a commanding 6-2 lead.
The third inning featured a walk, single and hit by pitch that loaded the bases with one out and forced the Trailblazers to make a call to the bullpen. The Jacks cashed in on the pitching change with a bases-loaded walk and a pair of RBI singles to even the game at 6-6.
After yet another change in the circle resulted in Winona Vigil and Sydney Roberts getting hit-by-pitch, the Jacks ended the frame with an 8-6 lead, which would stand to send the Jacks to Salem.
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Game 2: West Virginia Wesleyan vs. Molloy
[credit]A extra-inning walk-off single lifted Molloy over Adelphi in the East Super Regional Game 2. Photo Courtesy Molloy Athletics/Chris Bergmann Photography[/credit]
Atlantic Super Regional Results
Host: West Chester | |||
1 | May 18, Noon | West Chester vs. West Va. Wesleyan | 3-2, West Va. Wesleyan |
2 | May 19, Noon | West Chester vs. West Va. Wesleyan | 3-2, West Chester |
3 | May 19, 2:30 p.m. | West Chester vs. West Va. Wesleyan | 10-1 (5), West Va. Wesleyan |
West Virginia Wesleyan wins Atlantic Super Regional |
West Virginia Wesleyan defeated West Chester in the 'if' game by a 10-1 score in the fifth inning on the mercy rule in the NCAA Division II Super Regional.
The Lady Bobcats struck first in the top of the first when Morgan Bruce hit a one-run single that scored Brooklyn Waddell.
After Wesleyan gave up a solo home run in the bottom of the first, Waddell tagged a ball over the left field fence in the third inning and Bruce hit a one-run single to treat Wesleyan to a 3-1 advantage.
Wesleyan pushed their lead to 6-1 in the top of the third.
Olivia Gore hit a two-run triple and Jessica Rodriguez added a one-run double for the scoring. Wesleyan added four runs in the top of the fifth to put the game away.
Sayaka Foley was brilliant in the circle as she went the distance to improve her record to 18-3.
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East Super Regional Results
Host: Adelphi | |||
1 | May 18, 2 p.m. | Adelphi vs. Molloy | 4-3, Molloy |
2 | May 19, 1 p.m. | Adelphi vs. Molloy | 3-2 (8), Molloy |
Molloy wins East Super Regional |
A walk-off single from junior Makayla Harris in the bottom of the eighth inning against Adelphi punched Molloy's ticket to the NCAA Division II Softball College World Series
Adelphi took a 2-1 lead in the third that held until the sixth, when Senior Erin Clinton started the sixth inning for Molloy with a double to left field. An intentional walk to Botte and Rambo reaching first safely on an error by the Adelphi shortstop loaded the bases for pinch hitter Mikaela Tribby. The freshman pushed a single up the middle to knot the score headed into the final inning.
With neither team able to score in the seventh, the game was sent to extra innings. The Panthers had a runner reach second base, but Hawks induced three pop ups to keep the run from crossing home. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Botte was intentionally walked for the fourth time of the day to bring up Rambo. The junior singled up the middle, putting runners on first and second base. Junior Brianna Dalton followed suit, singling through the left side to load the bases for Harris, whose single drove in Botte, giving Molloy the 3-2 victory and a ticket to the College World Series.
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Game 3: Minnesota State-Mankato vs. Southern Indiana
[credit] Southern Indiana Athletics[/credit]
Central Super Regional Results
Host: Harding | |||
1 | May 18, 3 p.m. | Harding vs. Minnesota St. | 1-0 (10), Minnesota St. |
2 | May 19, 1 p.m. | Harding vs. Minnesota St. | 3-2, Harding |