Shawnee State, Rio Grande advance to RSC Softball finals
RSC Sports Information
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Shawnee State University (Ohio) and the University of Rio Grande (Ohio) will square off in a championship best-of-3 series by virtue of each team posting a pair of victories during Friday's second day of action in the River States Conference Softball Championship at Little Creek Park.
Shawnee State, the East Division No. 1 seed in the eight-team, double-elimination bracket recorded a pair of walk-off victories, outlasting West Division No. 2 seed St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) College, 1-0, and slipping past upset-minded Midway (Ky.) University - the No. 4 seed from the West Division - 4-3 in eight innings.
Rio Grande, the East Division No. 2 seed, posted a pair of 3-1 wins over East Division No. 4 seed Point Park (Pa.) University to advance.
With both teams making it through their respective four-team pods unbeaten, the Bears (36-9) and the RedStorm (32-17) will renew their long-time rivalry in a best-of-3 championship series on Saturday beginning at 10 a.m.
Game two will take place 30 minutes after the conclusion of the opening contest at approximately 12:30 p.m., with a third meeting (if needed) set for 30 minutes after game two at approximately 3 p.m.
The two teams divided doubleheaders at their respective home venues during regular season play.
Saturday's winner will join Indiana University Southeast in the NAIA National Championship, which begins on May 13 at 10 Opening Round sites across the country.
IU Southeast earned its spot in the national event as the RSC's regular season champion.
Shawnee State began Friday's day of dramatics against defending RSC tourney champ St. Mary-of-the-Woods, pushing across the winning run in the bottom of the seventh when Brittani Wolfenbarker reached on a error to begin the inning, moved to second on a Jenna Christopher single and scored on a double to left-center by Cassie Berry.
Wolfenbarker, Christopher and Mackenzie Hale all had two hits each in the win.
Berry allowed eight hits and walk, while striking out three in a complete game effort.
Abbi Henderson had two hits in the loss for SMWC.
Against Midway, the Bears bolted to a 3-0 second inning lead thanks to a solo home run by Lauren Spears in the first sandwiched around a sacrifice fly by Berry in the first and a run-scoring hit by Berry in the second.
Midway tied the game in the fifth, though, after a run-scoring double by Kyra McCall and a two-run double by Katie Rhodes.
After the Eagles loaded the bases with one out in the top of the eighth inning but failed to scored, the Bears ended things in the bottom of the frame.
Amariah Hoerner reached on an infield single to begin the inning and went all the way to third when Wolfenbarker beat out a sacrifice bunt attempt for a single.
Christopher followed with a groundout to third, with Hoerner beating the throw back to the plate with the game-winner after making a late break for home.
Christopher, Wolfenbarker and Sierra Dunnagan all had three hits in the win for SSU, while Rhodes had three hits of her own in a losing cause for Midway (20-26).
Rio Grande began its day with a 3-1 win over Point Park, scoring twice in the home fourth inning to go in front for good.
The RedStorm grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a sacrifice fly by Kayla Sedgwick, but the Pioneers countered with a run-scoring hit by Sydnie Reese in the fourth inning to knot the score at 1-all.
Rio grabbed the lead back in the bottom of the frame, though, when Peyton Young and Gabby Adams began the inning with consecutive singles and both were bunted into scoring position.
Trinity Davis, who was pinch-running for Young, scored moments later on squeeze bunt by Boo Sturgill and Adams rode home on a sacrifice fly by Megan Bazler.
Madison Ogden provided the RedStorm with another solid pitching performance, scattering four hits and a walk while striking out 11 in a complete game effort.
Sedgwick and Adams had two hits each in the win.
The second meeting between the two squads later in the day saw both teams score in the first inning - Point Park on a double by Gianna Welsh and Rio Grande on a double by Ogden.
That's how things stayed until the bottom of the sixth inning when the RedStorm snapped the tie.
Madison Perry began the go-ahead rally by hitting her first home run of the season and Young plated an insurance marker with a sacrifice fly later in the frame.
Hannah Beers tossed four innings of four-hit, scoreless relief to get the win. Ogden allowed a hit, but struck out two in the seventh to earn a save.
Ogden and Caitlyn Brisker both had two hits in the winning effort for Rio, while Welsh and Bella Magliocco had two hits apiece for Point Park (23-25).
The loss marked the final game for the Pioneers as a member of both the RSC and the NAIA before making the move to NCAA Division II next year.
In Friday's other two games - both elimination contests - Point Park defeated West Division No. 1 seed IU Southeast for the second time in as many days, 4-3, and Midway bounced St. Mary-of-the-Woods, 3-2.
Melanie Taylor's fifth inning solo home run snapped a 3-3 tie and lifted the Pioneers past the Grenadiers (34-16), while Midway made an early 3-0 lead - with all three markers knocked in by Ryann Berger- stand up against the Pomeroys (32-17).
The RSC Game Central will provide live streaming video of all RSC Softball Championship games. Subscribe for $7.95 per game or $19.99 for the entire tournament.
Live stats will also be provided at River StatesConference.com.
2024 RIVER STATES CONFERENCE SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
May 2-4 at South Charleston, W.Va. (Little Creek Park)
Thursday, May 2
Game 1 -- No. 2 St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) (32-15) def. No. 3 Ohio Christian, 4-2 - Boxscore
Game 2 -- No. 1 Shawnee State (Ohio) (34-9) def. No. 4 Midway (Ky.), 7-1 - Boxscore
Game 3 -- No. 2 Rio Grande (Ohio) (30-17) def. No. 3 Oakland City (Ind.), 2-0 - Boxscore
Game 4 -- No. 4 Point Park (Pa.) (22-23) def. No. 1 IU Southeast, 4-2 (9 inn.) - Boxscore
Game 5 -- Midway (19-25) def. Ohio Christian (17-27), 4-2 (Ohio Christian eliminated) - Boxscore
Game 6 -- IU Southeast (34-15) def. Oakland City (28-22), 4-2 (Oakland City eliminated) - Boxscore
Friday, May 3
Game 7 -- No. 1 Shawnee State (Ohio) def. No. 2 St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.), 1-0 - Boxscore
Game 8 -- No. 2 Rio Grande (Ohio) def. No. 4 Point Park (Pa.), 3-1 - Boxscore
Game 9 -- No. 4 Midway (Ky.) def. St. Mary-of-the-Woods (32-17), 3-2 (St. Mary-of-the-Woods eliminated) - Boxscore
Game 10 -- Point Park def. No. 1 IU Southeast (34-16), 4-3 (IU Southeast eliminated) - Boxscore
Game 11 -- Shawnee State (36-9) def. Midway (20-26), 4-3 (8 inn.) (Midway eliminated) - Boxscore
Game 12 -- Rio Grande (32-17) def. Point Park (23-25), 3-1 (Point Park eliminated) - Boxscore
Saturday, May 4
Game 15 -- No. 2 Rio Grande (Ohio) vs. No. 1 Shawnee State (Ohio), 10 a.m.
Game 16 -- No. 2 Rio Grande (Ohio) vs. No. 1 Shawnee State (Ohio), 12:30.m.
Game 17 -- No. 2 Rio Grande (Ohio) vs. No. 1 Shawnee State (Ohio), 3 p.m. (if necessary)