DePauw Undefeated in NCAC Softball Tourney, Awaits Denison/Wittenberg Winner

5/8/2025 9:58:06 PM

GRANVILLE, OH-- After four complete games of the 2025 NCAC Softball Tournament, second-seeded DePauw has earned the right to play in the title game on Friday at 1:30 p.m. Top-seeded Denison and fourth-seeded Wittenberg will meet up in the elimination game at 11:00 a.m. Friday morning for the opportunity to play DePauw in the 2025 NCAC tourney title game. The NCAC tournament champion will earn an automatic berth into the upcoming 2025 NCAA Division III Softball Championship.

DePauw captured a 4-3 victory over Hiram in Game 1, while Wittenbers defeated Denison, 7-1, in Game 2. The Indiana Tigers then claimed a 5-2 win over the Terriers in Game 3 and Denison earned a 6-5 come-from-behind win over Hiram in the final game of the day to eliminate the Terriers from the tournament.

Game 1 - No. 2 DePauw 4, No. 3 Hiram

Hiram's Angel Santellan (Lawndale, CA/Mira Costa) started the scoring for the Terriers in the first inning with a double to right center to plate both Darian Kanno (Mililani, Hawaii/Mid-Pacific Institute) and Danielle Robles (Highland, CA/Citrus Valley) for an early 2-0 lead.
After a scoreless bottom of the first and top of the second, DePauw put two runs on the board thanks to Riley Heim (Indianapolis, IN/Cardinal Ritter) singling through the left side to score Alex Romero-Salas (Paranaque City, National Capital Region (NCR)/Calvert Academy) and then Heim scoring herself on a wild pitch to even the score at 2-2.
Hiram responded with a run in the top of the third off a Santellan sacrifice fly that scored Daynna Mekaru (Kaneohe, Hawaii/Mid-Pacific Institute) for the 3-2 lead. DePauw used a well placed but by Ella Kuenster (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park and River Forest HS) to score Libby Minobe (Fort Wayne, IN/Homestead) to tie the game at 3-3.
After a scoreless 2.5 innings, the Tigers took a 4-3 lead as Paige Brady (Tucson, AZ/Tanque Verde) flied out to right to score Kuenster in the bottom of the sixth. DePauw's Romero-Salas forced the Terriers into two line outs and a ground out to earn the save on the mound.
The Tigers offense was led by Kuenster who recorded two hits, one run and one RBI, while Hiram's offense was sparked by Hannah Marlow (Hunstville, OH/Calvary Christian), who had two hits and Santellan, who knocked in three runs.
Kanno took the loss for Hiram in six innings of work, scattering six hits and striking out two, while DePauw's Peyton Rohr (Northridge, CA/Viewpoint School) threw two innings, allowing just two hits to earn the win.

Game 2 - No. 4 Wittenberg 7, No. 1 Denison 1

After a scoreless first inning, Wittenberg plated two runs in the second inning after Shannon Flaherty (Burlington, KY/Saint Henry District) put down a bunt which scored Rebekah Giel (Amelia, OH/West Clermont) and Samantha Zungri (Canal Winchester, OH/Canal Winchester) grounded out to score Hanna Ecker (Heath, OH/Heath) for the 2-0 lead.
An error by Denison plated two more runs for the Tigers in the top of the fourth inning, before the Big Red got on the board after a solo shot to left off the bat of Madilyn Moffitt (New Castle, IN/New Castle) to cut the deficit to 4-1.
Wittenberg would tack on two more runs in the sixth inning off another Big Red error for a five-run lead, 6-1, before a ground out by Kirsten Wright (Springfield, OH/Kenton Ridge) plated Meghan McCans (Arcanum, OH/Arcanum) for the Tigers seventh run of the game.
The Tigers were led by Ecker, who went 3-for-4 with a run scored. Four Denison players recorded hits in the game, while Annabelle Calderon (Perris, CA/Orange Vista) drew four balls twice to reach base.
On the mound, Lilly James (Troy, OH/Troy) collected the win, allowing just three hits and striking out four in 4.2 innings of work. Brooke Surbaugh (San Bruno, CA/St. Ignatius) took the loss in the circle for Denison in 3.1 innings of work, allowing four hits and two earned runs.

Game 3 - No. 2 DePauw 5, No. 4 Wittenberg 2

DePauw scored early off a sacrifice fly from Katie Mathies (Shelbyville, IN/Shelbyville) that plated Libby Minobe (Fort Wayne, IN/Homestead) for the 1-0 lead.
After a scoreless second frame, Wittenberg evened the score at one-all after McCans touched home off a Giel sacrifice fly. DePauw took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the inning thanks to a two-run sacrifice fly off the bat of Callie Rheinheimer (Lebanon, IN/Zionsville).
A error would allow another DePauw run across the plate in the fourth inning.
In the top of the seventh, Wittenberg pushed one run across the plate off a sacrifice bunt Gada Bryant (Westville, IL/Bismark Henning) that scored Diana Quevedo (La Quinta, CA/ La Quinta).
Brady led DePauw with a 2-for-3 performance with a scored run, while Quevedo went a perfect 3-for-3 with a scored run.
Izzy Deveau (Ypsilanti, MI/Saline) earned the win for DePauw allowing just four hits in seven innings of work, while Julie Hall (Powell, OH/Bishop Watterson) threw three innings of four-hit ball, allowing two earned runs in the loss.

Game 4 - No. 1 Denison 6, No. 3 Hiram 5

The final game of the day would see Hiram take an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a Kanno double that plated Robles and then a sacrifice bunt by Santellan that scored Mekaru.
The Terriers extended their lead in the third inning with two more runs, as Haven Papineau (Indianapolis, IN/Ben Davis) and Kayla Prigge (Lawai, HI/Waimea) each earned an RBI with singles to center field.
A solo shot to left by Calderon in the sixth inning would give the Big Red their first run of the game and spark the offense leading into the seventh inning. Down 4-1, Denison would take advantage of two fielding errors by Hiram, scoring Jacqui Abogado (Naperville, IL/Naperville Central), Brianna Gonzalez (Bellmore, NY/Wellington C. Mepham), Emily Orsini (Glen Mills, PA/Garnet Valley) and Alex Longstreth (Carmel, IN/Carmel) to take a 5-4 lead. An RBI single by Indy Workman (Greene County, IN/Eastern Greene) would give the Big Red a 6-4 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.
An RBI single by Papineau that scored Kanno would bring the Terriers to within one, 6-5, but a two-out, bases-loaded diving catch by Abogado would secure the win for Denison.
Abogado, Calderon and Longstreth recorded two hits apiece for Denison, while Kanno and Papineau each posted 3-for-4 efforts.
Surbaugh earned the win on the mound for Denison after allowing six hits across four innings.

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