NCAA Division III Regional - Day One

Game Four - #1 Muskingum 3, #5 Western Connecticut State 2

Box Score

GLASSBORO, NJ (May 8) – Right fielder Kelli Mann doubled in the winning run for Muskingum College in a 3-2 win over Western Connecticut State University in the first round of the NCAA Division III Softball Championship Tournament. 

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Mann’s (sr. Canton, OH/Perry) shot to center field scored third baseman Heather Fields (sr. Bradford, OH/Covington).  Mann ended the game with two hits (four at bats), one RBI and one run scored.  Fields went two for three with one run scored.  Shortstop Jamie Echelberger (sr. Ashland, OH/Hillside) scored one run and catcher Kari Hoying (sr. Russia/Russia Local) had one RBI. 

The top seed Muskingum (37-9) has a bye on Friday.  The Muskies’ next game is on Saturday at 10 a.m. against the winner of game seven, Denison and Mount Union.  Western Connecticut State (29-14), the fifth seed, plays host Rowan, the third seed at noon on Friday.

Righty Amy Mattin (jr. Delta, OH) pitched a complete game for the victory.  Mattin (27-5) allowed four hits and struck out six hitters.  Pitcher Shelby Slie (sr. Seymour, CT/Seymour) took the loss on the mound.  Slie (16-7) gave up seven hits and three runs, one earned.

For the Colonels, left fielder Megan Brunell (sr. North Attleboro, MA/North Attleboro) contributed with one hit (three at bats) and one RBI.  Third baseman Stacey DiMaggio (sr. Hopewell Jct., NY/John Jay) added one hit on three trips to the plate and scored one run.  Designated hitter Cortney Romyns (sr. Newton, NJ/Blair Academy) recorded a solo home run.

Muskingum took the lead 2-0 in the bottom of the third.  Mann came home for the first run when Echelberger had a sac bunt and got on base because of an error.  Hoying’s sacrifice fly later scored Echelberger.  Western Connecticut cut the deficit to one on Romyns homer in the fifth.  It was her fifth home run on the season.  DiMaggio crossed the plate for the tying run in the sixth on a fielder’s choice with Brunell at the plate.