NCAA Softball Ends First Day Of Competition At Rowan

from the desk of Sheila Stevenson - Rowan SID

Box Score

GLASSBORO, NJ (May 8) – Muskingum College, Mount Union College, Western Connecticut State University and Denison University each won its first game at the first round of the NCAA Division III Softball Championship Tournament on Thursday.  Rowan University is the host for the first round, May 8-11.

In the first game of the day, Western Connecticut State, the fifth seed, shut out number four Kean University, 2-0.   Number six Denison University defeated the third seed Rowan University, 10-1 in six innings and the second seed Mount Union College blanked number seven Hunter College, 6-0.  Number one Muskingum College won 3-2 against Western Connecticut State in the nightcap.

On Friday, Kean plays Hunter in game five at 10 a.m. followed by Rowan against Western Connecticut State at noon in game six.  Game seven features Denison versus Mount Union at 2 p.m.  In game eight, the winner of game five meets the winner of game six at 4 p.m.

Game One - #5 Western Connecticut State 2, #4 Kean University 0

In the opening game, Western Connecticut State University shut out Kean University, 2-0 at the first round of the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. 

The fifth seed Western Connecticut State (29-13) plays number one Muskingum College (36-9) at 4 p.m. today.  Kean (30-15), seeded fourth, meets the seventh seed Hunter College (22-20) at 10 a.m. on Friday.  

Right hander Shelby Slie (sr. Seymour, CT/Seymour) pitched a complete game for the victory.  Slie (16-6) only allowed three hits for her sixth shutout of the season.  Pitcher Courtney Smyth (fr. Abington, PA/Abington) suffered the loss.  Smyth (14-6) went seven innings and gave up five hits and two runs, one earned.

For the Colonels, right fielder Amy Hartman (fr. Ellington, CT/Ellington) went one for three with a double and one RBI.  Left fielder Megan Brunell (sr. North Attleboro, MA/North Attleboro) contributed with one hit (three at bats) and one RBI.  Catcher Brittany Finkeldey (sr. Ivoryton, CT/The Williams School) and first baseman Katelyn Farrell (so. Stratford, CT/Bunnell) each scored one run.

Shortstop Johanna Hedler (sr. South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield), first baseman Katie Hicks (sr. Medford Lakes, NJ/Holy Cross) and third baseman Kara Schultz (sr. Clinton, NJ/North Hunterdon) each had a hit for the Cougars.  Hedler recorded a double.

Western Connecticut scored its first run in the top of the second inning.  With two outs, Farrell singled to left field and advanced to second on a wild pitch.  Brunell’s single up the middle brought home Farrell.  The Colonels went up 2-0 in the fourth inning.  Hartman doubled in Finkeldey who reached base on an error.