Story courtesy of Texas Lutheran University Sports Information
SEGUIN, Texas -- Texas Lutheran University ended its season one victory shy of an NCAA Division III Regional Championship for the fourth time in five years as the University of Texas at Tyler fought off an elimination game Saturday and won the winner-take-all championship game 6-2 Sunday at TLU's Ed Kruse Stadium - Morck Softball Field.
The Patriots (41-2) advance to the NCAA Division III Super Regional as champions of the Seguin, Texas Regional.
The Bulldogs close out their 2018 season with an overall record of 39-3.
TLU and UT Tyler entered the Seguin, Texas Regional as the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked teams in the NFCA poll for NCAA Division III.
After dropping the first meeting with TLU, by a score of 7-2 on Saturday, the Patriots roared back to take the regional crown with a 3-0 win on Saturday and the 6-2 win in the finale.
The Bulldogs had plenty of scoring chances against UT Tyler on Sunday, but TLU left a season-high 15 runners on base.
TLU left the bases loaded in the first, the third, the fifth, and the sixth.
The Patriots jumped out to the 5-1 lead with a five-run first. Ashley Perez, the Most Outstanding Player of the Seguin, Texas Regional, belted a two-run home run in the opening frame.
TLU closed within 5-2 on a home run by Kyla Lockley in the fourth, but UT Tyler extended the lead in the fifth with a Dariann Resendez infield single.
Andrea Gonzalez and Resendez each drove in a pair of runs to go along with the two that Perez brought home.
Colleen Bentke picked up the win in relief. She improved to 23-2 overall with three shutout innings. She struck out four and walked two.
Maitlin Raycroft (20-1) took the loss. She tossed just a third of an inning and allowed four earned runs. Jordaine Bishop went the rest of the way, allowing only one earned run and scattering seven hit in 5-2/3 innings of work.
Lockley finished the day with a 3-for-5 performance at the plate, and she scored both TLU runs. Skylar Ouellette drove in the first TLU run, as the Bulldogs took the early lead, with a bases-loaded walk.
Players named to the All-Tournament Team were:
Kyla Lockley, TLU
Haley Padilla, TLU
Skylar Ouellette, TLU
Kassie Maddox, TLU
Nicole Garcia, UT Tyler
Ashley Perez, UT Tyler (Most Outstanding Player)
Colleen Bentke, UT Tyler