*Friday's games are delayed due to weather until a targeted 12:30 p.m. Eastern start. Games 5 and 6 on the tournament bracket would still be played on Field 1 and Field 2.*
Official Championship Page
XENIA, Ohio – Four competitive contests were completed during the first day of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Softball Championship on Wednesday at the Athletes in Action Complex.
What started as a six-team bracket was narrowed down to five as G-MAC programs continue to keep playoff aspirations alive with hopes of making the NCAA DII Midwest Regional as an automatic qualifier.
The tournament schedule was officially moved up one day as teams were originally slated to take the field for the first time on Thursday. But Thursday’s contests were all postponed as the championship was temporarily suspended waiting for weather to move through.
Top-seeded Cedarville, No. 2 Kentucky Wesleyan, No. 3 seed Trevecca Nazarene and No. 6 seed Malone, all won one game on Wednesday. The Pioneers of Malone staved off elimination by taking out No. 5 seed Ursuline in the nightcap.
Known for blustery conditions, the tournament field enjoyed afternoon sunehine and minimal winds to begin the day. The forecast changed into the early evening with some heavy rains and chilly temperatures that prolonged pace of play as teams made adjustments to the elements.
The tournament is scheduled to resume Friday morning at 9 a.m. with both fields being utilized for 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. games. The final game of the day will be played at 2 p.m. on field one.
Moments that Mattered
Kentucky Wesleyan freshman Lexie Mullen rocketed a payoff pitch over the center-field fence, a three-run blast that highlighted a four-run third inning. For Mullen, it represented home run No. 9 on the season and pushed her into the league lead among all conference players.
The Panthers are as dangerous as anyone at the top of the order with three of the league’s top five hitters in terms of batting average
Serving as walk-off hero for No. 1 seed Cedarville was freshman catcher Hallie Daughtry, who flared a game-winning single down the right field line to topple Malone in extras and survive the Pioneers' bid for an early bracket buster. The Yellow Jackets had several chances to put the game away, including the sixth inning.
Enter Malone freshman Samantha Fruchey faced with escaping what appeared to be a perilous situation with runners at second and third and no outs. Fruhey induced back-to-back groundouts to hold the runners, issued a walk to load the bases and got out of it with a shallow fly out.
Fruchey answered the call and then some on short rest, forging through the rain to take the ball in Malone’s next game against Ursuline. She delivered 3.1 innings before turning it over to game-one starter Allyson Gruen and Isabella Roberts, who slammed the door shut for a save and keep the Pioneers’ season alive.
Spinning a gem for the defending four-time conference champion Trevecca Nazarene Trojans was Samantha Carr, who silenced Davis & Elkins with a six-hit shutout. Carr had the Senators pounding the ball into the ground all game with 13 groundouts vs. one fly ball out.
The Trojans are in different territory as the No. 3 seed and for the first time just might not be the presumed favorite based on tournament seeding. But experience runs up and down the lineup, notably senior outfielder Alex Richardson who was 2-for-3 with a two-run triple.