RSC Communications
KOKOMO, Ind. – St. Mary-of-the-Woods College mounted a seventh inning rally for the second time in as many days and posted an 8-5 win over the University of Rio Grande in the championship game of the 2022 River States Conference Softball Championship, Saturday afternoon, at Championship Park.
The Pomeroys (29-12), who reached the title contest thanks to a five-run seventh inning rally against Rio Grande in Friday’s winner’s bracket final, punched their ticket to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round, which is scheduled for May 16-18 at 10 campus sites across the country.
Rio Grande, the No. 1 seed from the East Division and the tourney’s overall top seed, suffered its third loss in four meetings this season with SMWC – all of which came in the Pomeroys’ final at bat.
The RedStorm (39-13) also are headed to the NAIA Tournament as the RSC’s regular season champion.
St. Mary-of-the-Woods – which is in its first year as a member of the River States Conference – and Rio Grande will learn their Opening Round destinations on Tuesday, May 10, at 5 p.m. with the National Championship bracket reveal on the Play NAIA Facebook page.
In Saturday’s championship tilt, Rio Grande raced to a 4-0 second inning lead thanks to a two-run first inning home run by Zoe Doll and a two-run second inning single by Shelby Schmitt.
Both teams scored in the third inning, while the Pomeroys scored twice more in the fifth inning thanks to a run-scoring single by Ashley Shanks and a sacrifice fly by Lyric Krause to close the gap to 5-3.
Then came the seventh inning where St. Mary-of-the-Woods – the West Division No. 1 seed – sent 11 batters to the plate against a trio of Rio hurlers in their come-from-behind effort.
Krause had a two-run single to tie the game, pinch-hitter Jordyn Rice drew a bases-loaded walk to force in the go-ahead run and Katrina Strow added a measure of insurance with a two-run single of her own.
Summer Rocha came on in relief to retire Rio Grande in order in the home seventh to nail down the victory and earn her second save of the season.
Jillian Reese went 3-for-3 with a double and a run batted in for the Pomeroys, while Krause was 2-for-3 with three RBI. Shanks and Tori Lee added two hits each to the winning effort.
Gracie Ables earned the win in the circle, allowing three hits and one run over five innings of relief.
Kali Brickman suffered the loss in relief for Rio Grande, after allowing five hits and four runs over two innings.
Lexi Carnahan had two doubles and an RBI in a losing cause for the RedStorm, while Jenna Myers went 2-for-3 with a double and Taylor Webb had a double of her own.
Rio Grande earned its spot in the championship by posting a mercy rule-shortened 9-1 triumph over Indiana University Southeast in the loser’s bracket final of the six-team, double-elimination tourney.
The RedStorm took the lead for good with a fourth inning marker that snapped a 1-1 deadlock and then blew things open with three runs in the fifth and four runs in the fifth to invoke the eight-run mercy rule.
Kenzie Cremeens went 3-for-4 with a triple, a double and a run batted in, while Caitlyn Brisker was 3-for-3 with a double, a pair of walks and three RBI.
Holly Alvoid added two hits to the winning effort, while Megan Bazler contributed a pinch-hit, two-run single.
Brickman went the distance in the circle for Rio Grande, allowing six hits and a walk.
Meghan Waggoner started and lost for the Grenadiers (25-25), surrendering four hits and two runs – one earned – over 3-2/3 innings.
Macie Zink was 2-for-3 with a double for IUS, while Ellie Jackman had a double of her own and Brooklyn Gibbs drove in her team’s lone run.