Courtesy of Stetson Athletics
Fort Myers, Fla. — Chelsea Hostetler is only a freshman, but Stetson softball head coach Frank Griffin said she pitched like an upperclassman Wednesday.
Making her first career postseason start, Hostetler propelled the sixth-seeded Hatters to a nail-biting 4-3 upset victory over third-seeded Kennesaw State in the opening round of the 2015 Atlantic Sun Conference softball championship at the FGCU Softball Complex.
Stetson (28-18) advances in the winner’s bracket to face Lipscomb at 10 a.m. Thursday morning.
KSU (31-18) put runners on base every inning, including the tying run at second with no outs in the bottom of the seventh. However, Hostetler made big pitch after big pitch, finishing the game off with a strikeout, a ground out and a pop up as Stetson opened the A-Sun tournament with a win for the fourth year in a row.
“It was an exciting game all the way to the end,” Griffin said. “Both teams played really hard. Chelsea did a great job on the mound holding (KSU) to three runs. I am just real proud.”
Amanda Grimaldo went 2-for-4 with a season-high three RBI to lead the offense. She collected a key two-out, two-run single in the third inning to put Stetson ahead 4-0.
“(Amanda) is clutch when she is in that situation,” Griffin said. “She is the one you want up there when the game is on the line.”
Hostetler (18-8), meanwhile, went the distance, thwarting scoring chance after scoring chance for the Owls. KSU went just 3-for-21 with runners on base and 0-for-15 with runners in scoring position. Overall, the Owls stranded 13 base runners for the game.
“I came in a little nervous because we did not do the best against them (in the regular season),” Hostetler said. “I had pitched well in the bullpen, and I knew we were going to come together and get a big win.”
Hostetler (18-8) also had to pitch around an uncharacteristic five defensive errors. However, Stetson made big plays in crucial moments, including a diving catch by Kayla Drury at first base in the fifth and a leaping grab by Courtney Brandt in right field in the sixth.
The Hatters outhit the Owls 10-8. Jessie TenBroeck, Morgan Hatch, Grimaldo and Drury each had two hits, while Demi Meza drove in her 45th run of the year.
Game Notes:
Stetson is 21-2 when scoring first and 26-2 when scoring four runs or more … The Hatters have five-game winning streak in A-Sun tournament action … Demi Meza had a season-high seven assists at second base … Stetson won at the FGCU Softball Complex for the first time … The last Stetson freshman to start and win a postseason game was Courtney Brandt vs. USC Upstate in 2012 … Amanda Grimaldo extended her hitting streak to five games and Morgan Hatch, four games … The Hatters five errors was a season-high (previous high was two) … The Hatters have won the “3 vs. 6 game” in each of the past four years (three times as the six seed) … Dating back to last year’s A-Sun tournament, Stetson pitchers have held opponents to 0-for-the-last-26 with runners in scoring position.
