DePauw softball season ends with regional loss to Hiram

Katie White and Blair Hall combined for nine runs batted in, while Hall and Hannah Gore pitched six innings of five hit ball, as the No. 10 ranked Berry Vikings defeated the DePauw Tigers in the opening round of the division three NCAA regional.

Three top-15 teams were placed in the DePauw regional, two of those were squaring off in the nightcap Friday evening. Berry, from Mt. Berry, Ga, got things going offensively very quick. They would take advantage of four walks off Tiger starter Cami Henry, who appeared to be fighting off an injury. During the season she accrued a miniscule 1.00 ERA. A big two out single from Hall, put the Vikings up 2-0.

Berry added three more in the second, as Henry was replaced by Kersten Brayton. The first three runners each reached base and later scored.

DePauw got one back in the second. Katie Mathies singled and scored on a bases loaded walk. Hall was able to get out of the jam and keep the Tigers at bay.

After Berry added three more in the third, the Tigers looked to have things cooking again. Emily Timberman singled, Drew Bratcher followed that with another single and Mathies drew a walk to load up the bases. Timberman scored on a fielder’s choice. The Vikings went to the bullpen and Hannah Gore. Gore got the strikeout to end the rally.

Gore gave up just one hit the rest of the way and the Vikings added a three run bomb to Hall to give them an 11-2 victory.

Berry 233 003 — 11 14 0

DePauw 011 000 — 2 5 0

Batting — (D) Moore 1-2, Timberman 1-2, Mathies 1-1, Geary 1-1, Bratcher 1-3; (B) White 3-3, Frye 2-3, Hall 2-4, Gamble 2-4

RBI — (D) Moore, Anderson; (B) Hall 5, White 4, A. Jackson 1, R. Jackson 1

2B — (B) White

HR — (B) Hall

WP — Hall 2.2IP 4H 4BB 1K 2R 2ER; Gore 3.1IP 1H 0BB 2K 0R 0ER

LP — Henry 1IP 1H 5BB 0K 3R 3ER; Brayton 4.1IP 13H 1BB 2K 8R 8ER; Butcher .2IP 1H 0BB 0K 0R 0ER

Courtesy of DePauw

DePauw stayed alive in the NCAA Division III Championship Saturday after defeating Piedmont in an elimination game by a 3-2 score in the Greencastle regional. The Tigers improved to 35-10 while the Lions finished their season at 31-11.

Piedmont grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first as Kaitlin Isley singled with one out, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. Kara Taylor followed with a run-scoring ground out to second.

DePauw countered in the bottom of the first as Grace Smith led off with a single and moved to second on Goose Moore’s sacrifice bunt. Jade Mejia Wick then hit a grounder to short and an error on the throw to second to try to put out Smith allowed both runners to advance. Paige Price then delivered a two-run single.

The Lions evened the score in the third as Isley reached on an error and advanced to second. She then stole third and scored on Kara Taylor’s sacrifice fly.

DePauw scored what would be the game-winning run in the bottom of the third as Smith singled and moved to second on a throwing error on the play. Moore’s bunt single moved Smith to third and Moore was caught in a rundown that allowed Smith to score from third and give DePauw a 3-2 lead.

Smith had two of DePauw’s six hits, while Isley led the Lions with three of their six hits.

Kandra Butcher improved to 3-1, while Emma McBrayer dropped to 15-3.

Sunday, Hiram scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh and topped DePauw, 5-4, in an elimination game in the Greencastle regional of the NCAA Division III Softball Championship. The top-seeded Tigers finished the season at 35-11, while the third-seeded Terriers improved to 26-15.

Grace Smith led off the first for DePauw with a walk and moved to third on Goose Moore’s double. Katie Mathies then drove in Smith with a bunt single. The Tigers loaded the bases but a force out at the plate and a fly out ended the threat.

Hiram responded in the bottom of the first as Kylie Perez doubled with one out before Darian Kanno doubled with two outs. Angel Santellan then hit a ball to short that Smith couldn’t get a clear view of as Perez was running toward third. Perez went all the way around to score on the play. After Leah Valdez was hit by a pitch, Giselle Chavez reached on an error that allowed Kanno to score.

Hiram extended the lead to 3-1 in the fourth as Melissa Galindo was hit by a pitch and moved to third on Hunter Whitton’s grounder. Abrianna Schwartz followed with a double that plated Galindo. DePauw evened the score in the fifth as Moore walked and moved to second on Abby Pyburn’s sacrifice bunt and to third on Emily Timberman’s grounder. Paige Price drove in Moore with a single. After Drew Bratcher walked, pinch-hitter Caleigh Cramer singled, scoring Price and tying the contest at 3-3.

Kelsey Bernhard led off the sixth with a walk and moved to third when Smith singled. Jeskari Rodriguez replaced Kanno in the circle and pinch-hitter Chase Epp drew a walk to load the base. Timberman singled through the left side, scoring Bernhard and giving the Tigers a 4-3 lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, Perez singled with one out and moved th second on Giselle Bahena’s single. Kanno followed with a double that brought home Perez to tie the contest at 4-4. After Angel Santellan was intentionally walked, Valdez delivered a walk-off single for the win.

Alyssa Anderson led DePauw with two of its eight hits. Perez, Kanno and Santellan each had two of Hiram’s nine hits.

Kersten Brayton dropped to 2-2 in the circle, while Rodriguez improved to 11-7.

Smith and Butcher earned spots on the all-regional team.