One day is in the books at the 2016 NJCAA Division I Softball Championship and with only one upset, which was not the one we thought may happen.
No. 1 Tyler 4, No. 16 Georgia Military 0
Top seed Tyler (TX) look good in their opening game and got a strong pitching performance from Abby Walker who went all seven innings allowing no runs on three hits. She also posted 11 strikeouts and just one walk. At the plate lead-off Jazlyn Crowder went 2-4 with a run, center fielder Tanna Huie was 2-3 with a run and RBI and third-baseman Lauren Walker was 2-3.
No. 8 Yavapai 3, No. 9 Walters State 2 (10 Innings)
Yavapai came out on top of a hard fought battle. The teams were tied in the top of 10 when Walters State final got a run of the board when Hannah Riddle doubled and scored Taylor Wheeler. Katelyn Davidson then made it two doubles in a row to score Riddle. With one out and two on in the bottom of 10 Dustie Durham doubled in two runs to tie the game back up. After a walk to put two on again, Karissa Pena singled to right to capture the win for Yavapai. Durham was just 1-5 but she had a run and two RBI. She made that one hot count and help her team advance on the winners side to day two.
No.5 Florida Southwestern (FSW) 6, San Jacinto-South 1
FSW looked solid winning their first round game against San Jacinto-south who came into the tournament on a bit of a hot streak. FSW pitcher Courtney Gettins looked strong going the distance giving up just one run with six strikeouts. At the plate Molly Roark was sharp going 2-2 with a doubled, sacrifice fly, two runs and two RBI. The DP Torri Foster went 2-3 with a run also. The Buccaneers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first and that is all Gettins needed as she rarely if ever gives up a lead.
No. 4 Butler 11, No. 13 Howard 2
Butler exploded in the exploded in the fifth inning of a tight game with four runs to take an 8-2 lead. They added three more in the sixth as well. They hit three home runs as a team and were led by First baseman Morgan Bohanan who was 3-4 with a double, home run, run and three RBI. Pitcher Jennifer Hittinger who came into the game with just a 20-1 record and a 1.76 ERA gave up three hits and two runs in four innings. Brynn Minor came in for the final two innings in relief and did not allow a run.
No. 3 Chipola 8, No. 14 Indian Hills 1
The defending national champion Chipola scored runs in four of the six innings they batted to secure their first round win. Designated player Madison Regan was impressive going 4-4 with a double, three runs and two RBI. Second baseman Nalleli Lopez went 2-3 with a run and two RBI and Brianna Surrento was 2-2 with three RBI for the Indians. They also got good pitching from Ilona Andringa who went six innings with four hits, one run and seven strikeouts. Surrento closed the game out going one inning with no runs and a strikeout.
No. 11 Wallace State 6, No. 6 McLennan 4
Wallace State pulled the only upset of the day knocking of the six seed McLennan. They needed all seven innings as they trailed 4-1 heading into the final frame. They responded with five runs in the top of the seventh to secure the win. Wallace State got big games out of Second baseman Sarah Ellen Battles who went 1-2 with two walks, two runs and three RBI. Catcher Molli Garcia had a home run and two RBI as well. In the circle Julia Dailey only had one bad inning in the third where she gave up four runs, three earned. Otherwise she shut McLennan down.
No. 7 NE Oklahoma A&M (NEO) 8, No. 10 Lake Land 7
Offense was the name of the game in this showdown between NEO and Lake Land as the teams combined for 15 runs. NEO needed three runs in the bottom of the seventh to capture the win. NEO got great production from numerous players. Rylee Bayless was 2-2 with two runs, one RBI and three walks, Shortstop Shannon Hughes was 1-2 with a run, homre run and four RBI and Second baseman Libby Morris was 2-4 with a run. Lake Land has a strong performance from Catcher Shayna Gamm who was 3-4 with a run, two RBI and a home run.
No. 2 Salt Lake 6, No. 15 Spartanburg Methodist 0
Salt Lake proved our prediction of an upset wrong and The Bruins did the damage early in the first inning putting up five runs in the bottom half. Catcher Ashlee Crabtree went 2-3 with a run and two RBI and Third baseman Madison Sisco was 1-2 with three RBI and a sacrifice. The most impressive part was the pitching of Kylie Everill who went seven innings giving up no runs on six hits and struck out 16 to just two walks.
Players of the Day (1)
- Pitcher: Abby Walker (Tyler) 7 innings, 3 Hits, 11K, no walks
- Pitcher: Kylie Everill (Salt Lake) 7 innings, 6 hits, 16K, 2 walks
- Hitting: Madison Regan (Chiploa) 4-4, 2B, 3 runs, 2 RBI
- Hitting: Morgan Bohanan (Butler) 3-4, 2B, HR, 1 run, 3 RBI
