Three Teams Remain in Regional Tournament
May 7, 2004 | Softball
St. Cloud State advanced to the finals of the NCAA II North Central Region tournament and will face the winner of the Concordia-North Dakota State game in the championship game Saturday at 2:30. SCSU topped the Bison 3-2 in the semifinal to drop them down to the consolation final to take on Concordia. Host-school Nebraska-Omaha was shut out twice and eliminated from the tournament while Emporia State and Truman State both left with 1-2 tournament records. Check here for Friday's highlights or click on the NCAA Regional link for the schedule, bracket and latest scores and stats from the tournament.
Game 5: Emporia State 4, Truman State 0
Emporia State pitcher Melissa Stevens allowed just three hits and struck out five Truman State batters as ESU shut out the Bulldogs 4-0 in an elimination game Friday morning at the NCAA II North Central Regional softball tournament at Claussen-Westgate Field in Omaha. Stevens improved to 27-8 on the season with her 11th shutout.
Morgan Viola and Bree Beattie each went 2-for-3 and scored a run to lead Emporia State at the plate. Only one of Emporia State's four runs was earned.
Emporia State improves to 43-17 on the season and will now play the winner of the Nebraska-Omaha vs. Concordia-St. Paul game at 5 p.m. Friday. Truman State ends their season with a 44-12 record.
Game 6: Concordia 2, Nebraska-Omaha 0
The Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks were held scoreless for the fourth consecutive game after Concordia shut them out 2-0 Friday in an elimination game of the NCAA North Central Region tournament at Claussen-Westgate Field.
The home team was knocked out of its tournament after pitcher Kristen Schmidt (19-11) struck out ten and kept the Mavs to just three hits. UNO finished its season at 47-11 and went scoreless in its final 34 innings. The Mavs lost four times in a row for the first time since 1989 when they lost five straight. Concordia improved to 39-19 and will play Emporia State at 5:30 p.m. Friday in the second round of the consolation bracket.
The Golden Bears got their runs in the third inning when Schmidt singled in a run and in the fifth when Shannon Miller drove in another run.
Two of the Mavs hits came on doubles that reached the fence by Nicole Vos. The junior ended the season tied for UNO's career home run record. Shilo Jorgenesen also had a double.
Game 7: St. Cloud State 3, North Dakota State 2
Senior shortstop Angie Berg's RBI double in the bottom of the seventh inning lifted St. Cloud State to a 3-2 victory over North Dakota State, advancing the Huskies to the championship game of the NCAA II North Central Regional in Omaha, Neb. The championship game is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
Berg got St. Cloud State on the board first with a solo home run to right center field. Berg went 2-for-4 in the game with a home run, a double, two RBIs, and a run scored.
North Dakota State catcher Cindy Castleberry belted a two-run double in the top of the sixth inning to give the Bison a 2-1 lead. Castleberry went 1-for-3 in the game with a double and two RBIs
St. Cloud State tied the game with on an error by Castleberry in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Huskies produced the tying run with no hits, two walks, and two Bison errors in the sixth.
Husky senior Nicole Webb picked up the win, improving to 27-5 on the season. Webb allowed four hits while striking out four Bison batters and allowing two walks.
North Dakota State will battle the winner of the Emporia State vs. Concordia-St. Paul game at 12 p.m. on Saturday.
Game 8: Concordia-St. Paul 2, Emporia State 1
Concordia-St. Paul stopped a seventh-inning rally against Emporia State to win 2-1 in the second round of the NCAA II North Central Region tournament Friday at Claussen-Westgate Field. The Golden Bears, the sixth and final seed in the tournament, will advance to play North Dakota State in the consolation finals. Emporia was eliminated from the tournament and ended its season at 43-18.
The Goldn Bears (40-19) opened scoring in the third inning when Alica Nortom singled and then was driven in by Vanessa Dufresne. In the fourth Tracie Enzler doubled, advanced to third and then scored on a passed ball.
Concordia pitcher Kristen Schmidt struck out four and walked just one to improve to 20-11. Hornet pitcher Melissa Stevens walked just one but suffered the loss to go to 27-9.
In the seventh inning Emporia senior Kelly Gartner broke a school record with her 17th double of the season. With no outs in that inning and down by two she advanced to third on a single by Megan Davison and then scored on a fielders choice to right field by Ashley Boczek. That wouldn't be enough, though, as Autum Mouton lined into a double play to end the game.
Concordia and NDSU will play at noon Saturday with the championship game following at 2:30.
Game 5: Emporia State 4, Truman State 0
Emporia State pitcher Melissa Stevens allowed just three hits and struck out five Truman State batters as ESU shut out the Bulldogs 4-0 in an elimination game Friday morning at the NCAA II North Central Regional softball tournament at Claussen-Westgate Field in Omaha. Stevens improved to 27-8 on the season with her 11th shutout.
Morgan Viola and Bree Beattie each went 2-for-3 and scored a run to lead Emporia State at the plate. Only one of Emporia State's four runs was earned.
Emporia State improves to 43-17 on the season and will now play the winner of the Nebraska-Omaha vs. Concordia-St. Paul game at 5 p.m. Friday. Truman State ends their season with a 44-12 record.
Game 6: Concordia 2, Nebraska-Omaha 0
The Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks were held scoreless for the fourth consecutive game after Concordia shut them out 2-0 Friday in an elimination game of the NCAA North Central Region tournament at Claussen-Westgate Field.
The home team was knocked out of its tournament after pitcher Kristen Schmidt (19-11) struck out ten and kept the Mavs to just three hits. UNO finished its season at 47-11 and went scoreless in its final 34 innings. The Mavs lost four times in a row for the first time since 1989 when they lost five straight. Concordia improved to 39-19 and will play Emporia State at 5:30 p.m. Friday in the second round of the consolation bracket.
The Golden Bears got their runs in the third inning when Schmidt singled in a run and in the fifth when Shannon Miller drove in another run.
Two of the Mavs hits came on doubles that reached the fence by Nicole Vos. The junior ended the season tied for UNO's career home run record. Shilo Jorgenesen also had a double.
Game 7: St. Cloud State 3, North Dakota State 2
Senior shortstop Angie Berg's RBI double in the bottom of the seventh inning lifted St. Cloud State to a 3-2 victory over North Dakota State, advancing the Huskies to the championship game of the NCAA II North Central Regional in Omaha, Neb. The championship game is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
Berg got St. Cloud State on the board first with a solo home run to right center field. Berg went 2-for-4 in the game with a home run, a double, two RBIs, and a run scored.
North Dakota State catcher Cindy Castleberry belted a two-run double in the top of the sixth inning to give the Bison a 2-1 lead. Castleberry went 1-for-3 in the game with a double and two RBIs
St. Cloud State tied the game with on an error by Castleberry in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Huskies produced the tying run with no hits, two walks, and two Bison errors in the sixth.
Husky senior Nicole Webb picked up the win, improving to 27-5 on the season. Webb allowed four hits while striking out four Bison batters and allowing two walks.
North Dakota State will battle the winner of the Emporia State vs. Concordia-St. Paul game at 12 p.m. on Saturday.
Game 8: Concordia-St. Paul 2, Emporia State 1
Concordia-St. Paul stopped a seventh-inning rally against Emporia State to win 2-1 in the second round of the NCAA II North Central Region tournament Friday at Claussen-Westgate Field. The Golden Bears, the sixth and final seed in the tournament, will advance to play North Dakota State in the consolation finals. Emporia was eliminated from the tournament and ended its season at 43-18.
The Goldn Bears (40-19) opened scoring in the third inning when Alica Nortom singled and then was driven in by Vanessa Dufresne. In the fourth Tracie Enzler doubled, advanced to third and then scored on a passed ball.
Concordia pitcher Kristen Schmidt struck out four and walked just one to improve to 20-11. Hornet pitcher Melissa Stevens walked just one but suffered the loss to go to 27-9.
In the seventh inning Emporia senior Kelly Gartner broke a school record with her 17th double of the season. With no outs in that inning and down by two she advanced to third on a single by Megan Davison and then scored on a fielders choice to right field by Ashley Boczek. That wouldn't be enough, though, as Autum Mouton lined into a double play to end the game.
Concordia and NDSU will play at noon Saturday with the championship game following at 2:30.
Players Mentioned
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