Posted: May 27, 2021
(Story courtesy of Texas Lutheran Athletic Communications)
SALEM, Va. -- At the 2021 NCAA Division III Softball National Championship Finals, defending national champion Texas Lutheran edged Tufts (Mass.) 4-3 as pinch-hitter Laura Hernandez delivered a game-tying home run and Rebecca Snow capped the three-run, seventh-inning rally with a walk-off single.
TLU won its 25th consecutive game of 2021 and improved to 33-4 overall. The Bulldogs will face No. 1 ranked, and the tournament's overall top seed, DePauw (Ind.) at 3:30 p.m. CDT/4:30 p.m. EDT Friday in a winner's bracket game.
The Bulldogs trailed Tufts 3-1 entering the seventh and were down to their last two outs as Hernandez stepped to the plate. After nearly homering on an earlier pitch in the at-bat, Hernandez belted a high fastball over the left-center field.
"I started praying a lot," said Hernandez. "I couldn't tell you how many Hail Marys I said up there, but I felt that foul ball the first time, and I was like, 'Alright, this is going to be a good one.'"
Haley Padilla started the inning with a walk. Pinch runner Kirsten Williams scored on the Hernandez home run.
The TLU inning continued with a Kelly Jurden single to shortstop. Jurden advanced to third on a ground ball out by Casey Martin. Snow, a First Team All-American this year, drilled a pitch up the middle for a single that scored Jurden without a throw to the plate.
After Skylar Ouellette's double to right-center scored Jurden in the first inning, Tufts took the lead on a Michelle Adelman home run in the top of the third. Rachel Moore increased the Jumbos' lead to 3-1 in the fourth with an RBI single.
"We were just trying to chase a base runner and try to get somebody on base, and 'Clutch' right here came through and had a big hit," said Wade Wilson in the post-game interview as he turned to Hernandez. "And then we were able to steal one there late with Becca. Becca was 0-for going into that at-bat, with a couple of strikeouts, I believe. She is a good hitter. And Kelly (Jurden) found a way to get on base."
Tufts out-hit TLU 9-7 and received outstanding starting pitching from right-hander Kristina Haghdan. The Tufts lifted Haghdan for the start of the seventh. TLU scored two runs off Kristi Van Meter before Hadhdan was brought back following the Hernandez home run.
Haghdan took the loss and dropped to 8-4. She struck out eight and allowed two earned runs in 6-1/3 innings of work.
TLU right-hander Sydney Ouellette took the win in relief with 3-2/3 innings of work. She did not allow a run and scattered two hits. She struck out two.
Ouellette, the younger sister of TLU right-fielder Skylar Ouellette, notched the win to improve to 15-2 overall.