2022 NCAC Softball Tournament

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2022 NCAC Softball Tournament
at DePauw University
Saturday-Sunday, May 7-8
Saturday, May 7 Sunday, May 8
Game 1: #2 Hiram 12, #3 Denison 4 (6 inn.)  Game 5: #1 DePauw 5, #3 Wooster 0 
Game 2: #4 Wooster 7, #1 DePauw 6  Game 6: #1 DePauw 5, #2 Hiram 3 (8 inn.) 
Game 3: #2 Hiram 3, #4 Wooster, 0  Game 7: #2 Hiram 5, #1 DePauw 2 
Game 4: #1 DePauw 11, #3 Denison 2 (6 inn.) 
Tickets (cash only) -- Directions -- Bracket -- Tournament Stats -- Merchandise -- History

    

GAMES 5-7 

Hiram (24-14) captured its third North Coast Athletic Conference softball tournament championship in program history after defeating DePauw (34-9), 5-2, in game 7 of the 2022 NCAC Softball Tournament on Sunday in Greencastle, Indiana.

In the decisive game 7, DePauw and remained scoreless until the fifth inning when Grace Smith (Noblesville, IN/Noblesville) belted a two-run home run, scoring Kate Geary (Geneva, IL/Geneva) in the process. Down to their final three outs, the Terriers rallied with five runs in the top of the seventh inning. The inning included four walks, a hit-by-pitch and two hits by Giselle Bahena (Pomona, CA/Bishop Amat Memorial) and Angel Santellan (Lawndale, CA/Mira Costa). In the bottom of the seventh inning, DePauw brought the tying run to the plate but the Tigers weren't able to complete the comeback.

In game 6, DePauw led off the first inning with a pair of runs before Hiram answered with three runs of its own in the bottom of the inning. The Tigers tied it up at three in the second inning after Kelsey Bernhard (Downers Grove, IL/Downers Grove North) got on base and Jade Meija Wick (Woodridge, IL/Downers Grove North) swatted her home. The game remained tied until the eighth inning when Grace Smith (Noblesville, IN/Noblesville) hit a two-run home run to right-center field.

In game 5 of the tournament, DePauw posted a 5-0 victory over Wooster to earn the right to play in the title game. The Tigers went up 1-0 in the first inning and extended their lead to 3-0 after three innings. DePauw added a run in the fourth inning after Geary came around to score after leading off the inning with a single. The Tigers would score their fifth and final run in the fifth inning as Chase Epp (Russiaville, IN/Western) hit a leadoff double and scored on a Drew Bratcher (Reelsville, IN/South Putnam) double.

2022 NCAC Softball All-Tournament Team
MVP - Giselle Bahena, Hiram
Jessica Hopkins, Denison
Stephanie Griffin-Sanchez, Wooster
Grace Smith, DePauw
Jade Mejia Wick, DePauw
Drew Bratcher, DePauw
Abriana Schwartz, Hiram
Fayth Kawamura, Hiram
Darian Kanno, Hiram

Pitchers
Cami Henry, DePauw
Jeskari Rodriguez, Hiram

At-Large
Rachael Dudziak, Wooster

GAMES 1-4:

After four complete games of the 2022 NCAC Softball Tournament, second-seeded Hiram has earned the right to play in the title game on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Fourth-seeded Wooster and top-seeded DePauw will meet up in the elimination game at 10:00 a.m. Sunday for the opportunity to play the Terriers in the 2022 NCAC title game. The NCAC tournament champion will earn an automatic berth into the upcoming 2022 NCAA Division III Softball Championship.

To start the day, Hiram captured a 12-4 six-inning victory over the Denison in Game 1, while Wooster defeated DePauw, 7-6, in Game 2. The Terriers went on to claim a 3-0 win over the Fighting Scots in Game 3 and DePauw earned an 11-2 six-inning win over Denison in the final game of the day to eliminate the Big Red from the tournament.

Hiram was the first to score in Game 1, putting three runs on the board in the bottom of the second inning. After a scoreless third inning, Denison was able to score two runs in the top of the fourth. The Terriers extended their lead with four runs in the bottom of the fifth to go up 7-2. The Big Red plated two runs in the top of the sixth, while Hiram added five runs in the bottom half of the inning to end the game up by eight, 12-4.

Ten Hiram players recorded hits which included five Terriers with multi-hit games. Hiram was led by Larissa Baeza (Covina, CA/Covina) who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored, while Abriana Schwartz (San Marcos, CA/Mission Hills) went 2-for-4 with 3 RBI, Kylie Perez (Los Lunas, NM/Los Lunas) went 2-for-5 with two RBI, Darian Kanno (Mililani, HI/Mid-Pacific Institute) went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI and Hunter Whitton (Reno, NV/North Valleys) went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and one RBI. Denison's Sam Kline (Greensburg, PA/Hempfield Area) went 2-for-3 with three RBI, while Caitlin Ellwanger (Baltimore, MD/Roland Park Country School) went 1-for-3 with one RBI.

On the mound, Sydney Silverstein (Atlanta, GA/Pace Academy) went 5.1 innings for Denison, as she scattered 12 hits, while teammate Sophia Parpala (Deerfield, IL/Deerfield) threw a third of an inning giving up four hits. Kanno went six innings for Hiram, while allowing six hits and striking out five for the win.

Game 2 saw Wooster start its scoring with one run in the top of the first thanks to a home run by Molly Likins (St. Clair, MI/St. Clair), while DePauw would answer with five runs in the bottom half of the frame. The Tigers would add another run in the third, while the Fighting Scots would plate five runs in the fourth to tie the game at 6-all. Wooster was able to get another run on the scoreboard as Stephanie Griffin-Sanchez (Grafton, OH/Elyria Catholic) touched all four bases with a home run in the seventh, while the Fighting Scots defense held on for the one-run victory.

Wooster was led offensively by Griffin-Sanchez and Likins, who both went 2-for-4. Griffin-Sanchez scored two runs and added an RBI, while Likins scored one run and tallied two RBI. Brooke Swain (Seville, OH/Cloverleaf) added two RBI after going 1-for-4 at the plate. DePauw was led at the plate by Emily Timberman (Fishers, IN/Cathedral), Paige Price (Naperville, IL/Neuqua Valley) and Goose Moore (Indianapolis, IN/Indianapolis Lutheran), who all recorded two hits in the game. Timberman and Price both went a perfect 2-for-2 in the game, while Price added two RBI and one run scored and Timberman posted one RBI. Moore went 2-for-4 with one run scored. Drew Bratcher (Reelsville, IN/South Putnam) added two RBI for the Tigers after collecting one hit.

On the mound for Wooster, Addie Tagg (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin) split time on the mound with Rachael Dudziak (Aurora, OH/Aurora). Dudziak earned the win after scattering seven hits and striking out one through seven innings. Cami Henry (Camby, IN/Mooresville), Kandra Butcher (Maryville, IL/Collinsville) and Annika Garwood (Avon, IN/Cathedral) split time on the mound. Henry took the loss in the circle for DePauw after throwing 6.2 innings, allowing only three hits while striking out 13, while Garwood allowed three hits and four runs and Butcher gave up one run in a third of an inning.

The Hiram defense was solid in Game 3, as the Terriers held Wooster to just four hits with no errors. Angel Santellan (Lawndale, CA/Mira Costa) would belt a home run to start the scoring for Hiram in the bottom of the second to go up 1-0. After two scoreless innings, the Terriers would add two insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth to earn the 3-0 win and advance to the championship final.

Santellan went 2-for-3 for Hiram, while Kanno went a perfect 3-for-3, Giselle Bahena (Pomona, CA/Bishop Amat Memorial) added an RBI, and both Schwartz and Perez each scored one run for the Terriers. Swain went 2-for-3 for Wooster, while Gabby Lakes (Evansville, IN/Castle) and Griffin-Sanchez each recorded one hit.

On the mound, Jeskari Rodriguez (Chula Vista, CA/Southwest) claimed the win after allowing just four hits and striking out three batters in seven innings. Wooster's Dudziak took the loss pitching 1.2 innings, while Tagg threw 4.1 innings, scattering seven hits and striking out four.

In the final game of the day, DePauw used a big five-run opening frame to set the tone against Denison. The Tigers scored in four of the six innings and cruised to a run-rule victory while eliminating the Big Red.

DePauw was led by Price who was 3-for-4 at the plate, including a home run in the sixth inning that also scored Jade Meija Wick (Woodridge, IL/Downers Grove North). Price finished the game with two runs scored and six RBI. Meija Wick also had an impressive game at the plate, the senior ended the day with a 2-for-3 performance, scoring three time while also swatting in three runners.

Henry picked up the win in the circle, her 24th of the season, pitching all six innings while allowing just five hits, four walks and two runs. The senior also struck out seven batters in the game. Silverstein picked up the loss for Denison, who pitched 1.1 innings, while Parpala threw 3.2 innings, scattering seven hits and striking out three batters.

SEEDINGS (5/6/22): 

The 2022 NCAC Softball Tournament is set for Saturday and Sunday, May 7-8, at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. The Tigers earned the right to host the two-day event after winning the NCAC regular season championship.

As the top seed, DePauw (15-1) meets fourth-seeded Wooster (8-8) in the opening round of the double elimination tournament on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Second-seeded Hiram (13-3) opens the tournament on Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. with a showdown against third-seeded Denison (8-8). The Big Red claimed the tiebreaker over the Fighting Scots for the third seed in the field.
The double-elimination tournament continues on Saturday afternoon with the winners of the days' first two games squaring off for a slot in the championship round at 3:00 p.m., while the losers of the opening-round games will meet at 5:30 p.m. in an elimination game, with the winner moving on to face the loser of Saturday's third game at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday morning to determine the final slot in the championship round. Sunday's championship round will be played at 12:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. (if necessary). All game times are subject to change.
 
Since the inception of the NCAC Softball Tournament in the 2001 season, Denison has claimed six tournament titles (2001-02, '06, '08, '10, '12), as has DePauw (2014, '15, 2017-19, '21)). Allegheny (2004-05, '07, '13) has four tournament titles, while Hiram (2009, '11) and Wittenberg (2003, '16) have each claimed two tournament titles. Wooster is on the hunt for its first NCAC Tournament title.