DePauw Advances to NCAA Softball Regional Championship Game with 6-2 Win over Ohio Northern

DePauw Advances to NCAA Softball Regional Championship Game with 6-2 Win over Ohio Northern

(Story taken from the DePauw University website)

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GREENCASTLE, Ind. — Second-seeded DePauw totaled 11 hits and advanced to the championship game of the Greencastle, Indiana, Regional in the NCAA Division III Championship after a 6-2 win over top-seeded Ohio Northern.

DePauw improved to 38-6 and plays tomorrow at 2 p.m. needing just one win to advance to next week's Division III Finals in Eau Claire, Wis. Ohio Northern dropped to 39-6 and faces the winner of today's game between Trine and Washington-St. Louis at Noon tomorrow.

The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the first as Rachel MacBeth drew a leadoff walk and moved to second when Brianne Weeks reached on an error on a successful sacrifice bunt. Holly Paris then drove in MacBeth with a sacrifice fly to center.

Ohio Northern countered in the bottom of the first with two as Mandi Fought led off with a double and scored on Jackie Mangola's homer to center.

Weeks singled with one out in the third and advanced to second on a throwing error on the play. Jen Kosinski delivered an RBI single to left and advanced to third after the ball was misplayed in the outfield. Kosinski scored when she beat the throw to the plate on Emma Minx's grounder.

The Tigers extended the lead to 4-2 in the fourth on Haley Buchanan's leadoff homer and made it 6-2 in the fifth on Week's two-run single.

Weeks, Minx, Ashlee Anton and Buchanan each had two of DePauw's 11 hits, while Fought had two of the Polar Bears' four.

Megan Soultz improved to 27-4 and allowed just one hit over the final five innings, while Cortney Cash dropped to 20-4.