(Portions of this story were taken from the DePauw University website)

SUWANEE, Ga. - The SCAC had sponsored women's softball as an official conference sport since 1999, and, beginning in 2000, its champion had received an automatic berth into the NCAA championships.

From 2000 to 2006, SCAC softball teams had limited success in NCAA postseason play, sporting a mark of 5-14 in regional play. But in 2007, a freshman pitcher from Carmel, Ind., would help change all that. 

Megan Soultz posted her 18th win of the season as the freshman allowed just four hits and one unearned run in seven innings while striking out five and walking just one to lead DePauw University to a 6-1 victory over Bridgewater (Va.) College in the 2007 NCAA Division III Softball Regional Championship game in New Concord, Ohio. The victory advanced DePauw to the Division III finals in Salem, Virginia, and made the Tigers the first SCAC softball team to ever reach the round of eight. DePauw finished 4-0 at the regional and improved to 36-5 overall while Soultz posted a 4-0 record in the regional with a 0.97 ERA.

DePauw's breakthrough run to the national finals in 2007 is being recognized as the Top Moment in the history of SCAC softball. Top 20 Moments homepage

After victories over Allegheny (2-1), Alma (11-1) and Bridgewater (4-3 in 10 innings), DePauw sat alone in the winner's bracket and needed just one win over Bridgewater to advance to the NCAA round of eight.

DePauw started fast in the region final. Kaitlyn Davitt led off the second with a base hit and moved to second on Carolyn Bartlett's sacrifice bunt. Lauren Rees drew a walk before a wild pitch allowed Davitt to score from second and Rees to move to second. The Tigers eventually loaded the bases before Kristy Mahon singled in a pair to make it 3-0. Bartlett's double to left center scored Davitt in the third and pushed the lead to 4-0.

Laura Schlensker singled with one out in the sixth and Chelsy Patterson followed with a walk and Mahon reached on an error which loaded the bases. Jessica Krueger's single scored Schlensker before Rachel Gill's sacrifice fly foul out plated Patterson and made it 6-0.

The Eagles scored their lone run in the seventh when Kaitlyn Bowman and Laura Barry each singled with one out. Stephanie Steppe then reached on an error which scored Bowman. Elizabeth Smith popped up to Mahon at short and the Tigers began their celebration.

Mahon, Krueger and Davitt each had two of DePauw's nine hits while Bowman paced the Eagles with two of their four.

DePauw went on to defeat Moravian (Pa.) College, 4-2, in its first game in Salem, but dropped its next two games to Linfield (Ore.) College and Plattsburg State, respectively, to finish fifth-place nationally.

Russell Kramer, the SCAC Director of Communications/New Media, had a chance to catch up with DePauw head coach Bonnie Skrenta as well as former Tiger All-American Megan Soultz to reflect on the Tigers' magical 2007 season and the run to the national finals. Click here (Part 1) and here (Part 2) to list to the interview with Coach Skrenta; to listen to the interview with Megan Soultz, click here.

To view the complete list of SCAC Softball Top Moments, click here.

Throughout the 2010-2011 academic year, the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference will celebrate its 20th anniversary. A special logo commemorating the occasion will be used and the league office will also be releasing the Top 20 moments for each sport the conference sponsors (excluding men's and women's lacrosse).