MU’s run through the 2016 ODAC Softball Tournament ended just short of the goal with a 10-9 loss to top-seeded Virginia Wesleyan in the Championship Game. The extra-inning loss leaves the Royals with a record of 31-14 and in limbo waiting for an at-large big to the NCAA National Tournament.
The NCAA Selection Show is next Monday at 1:00pm, and will stream live at www.ncaa.com.
The 31 wins is a program record for most wins in a season. Monday’s game had originally been scheduled for Sunday, but was postponed due to rain.
Eastern Mennonite traded leads with the Marlins, ranked No. 3 in the nation, before dropping the title game in nine innings. The Royals were playing in their first ODAC Championship game since winning it in 2010. Virginia Wesleyan claimed their fourth title over the past six years.
Carli Hill (Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) put a quick stamp on the game, leading off with a long homerun to left center, hit of Kandis Kresinke. VWC’s star freshman entered the game with an ERA of 0.75. Tiffani Shaheen (Fluvanna, Va./Fluvanna) took the cue and followed with a triple and scored on a bunt from Mariah Foltz (Broadway, Va./Broadway) to give the Royals a quick 2-0 lead.
The Marlins got a run in the bottom of the second, but pitcher Sydney Reath (Chambersburg, Pa./Mercersburg Academy) got a strikeout to leave the bases loaded.
EMU’s offense then picked back up in their next at-bat, triggered by a leadoff single from Shaheen. Foltz followed with a single and Danyele Smith (Broadway, Va./Broadway) made it three straight singles to bring in Shaheen. A sacrifice fly from Aislinn Lucas (Grottoes, Va./Fort Defiance) brought in Foltz to push the Royals ahead 4-1.
Virginia Wesleyan quickly returned fire, scoring twice in the bottom of the inning and then taking their first lead at 5-4 on a two-out, two-run homerun in the fourth.
Kresinke was settling into a groove, having retired nine straight Royals batters, until Angelia Miller (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) led off the sixth with a walk. Lucas laid down the sacrifice and Reath put an RBI single up the middle to tie the game at 5-5. The women had more, however, loading the bases with two outs in the inning. Shaheen poked an RBI single to put EMU in front. Foltz then laced another single, which VWC’s left fielder misplayed, allowing the bases to clear and quickly ballooning the lead to 9-5.
But the Marlins didn’t leave the late-inning momentum alone, as they put together four hits in the bottom of the sixth to score three times and get within one. The Royals went down in order and Virginia Wesleyan’s offense picked right up again in the bottom of the seventh.
The first three batters reached, with Cassetty Howerin’s RBI single tying the score at 9-9 and leaving runners on the corners with nobody out. Reliever Lauren Seale (Madison, Va./Madison County) coaxed a short fly to right for the first out. Taylor Galvin then floated a liner to short center field, but with EMU’s defense playing in, Shaheen nabbed it on the run and fired to third base to double up the runner, preserving the tie.
Unlike regular season games, the Championship Game did not utilize the international tie-breaker rule with a runner starting on second base. As a result, neither team scored in the eighth.
Foltz led off the ninth with a single, but was erased on a tough call at second on a grounder off the bat of Smith. Miller then rolled to the shortstop for an inning-ending double play.
Seale looked to be getting out of the ninth unscathed, issuing only an intentional pass to Howerin. But with two outs and an 0-2 count on Galvin, VWC’s catcher lofted a double to the gap in left-center, and Howerin legged around from first base to score the game-winner.
Shaheen and Foltz each had three of EMU’s 11 hits, each accounting for four runs. Shaheen scored three times while Foltz drove in three. Hill finished 2-4 with a walk, hitting her sixth homerun of the year. Reath also had a pair of hits, adding an RBI and a run.
Reath started in the circle, getting charged with nine runs in a no-decision. Seale (11-6) pitched 3.2 innings in relief, taking the loss with the one run she allowed.
All-Tournament Team
The Royals had three players named to the All-Tournament Team: Sydney Reath, Tiffani Shaheen and Mariah Foltz.
Foltz batted 7-for-17 over EMU’s five games in Salem, hitting one homerun. She drove in five runs and scored twice, while adding a handful of great defensive plays at third base. Shaheen also had seven hits as she scored four runs and had two RBIs. The speedy centerfielder also had two assists from the outfield. Reath connected on three hits with a run and RBI at the plate while adding a win in 18.0 innings of work from the circle.