SEGUIN, Texas. – The Cedar Crest College softball program made it's NCAA Division III Softball Tournament debut in Seguin, Texas on Friday, taking on the host and defending National Champions, Texas Lutheran University.
After dropping their opening game of the tournament, 21-3, to the Bulldogs, the Falcons took on Bridgewater State University (Mass.) in an elimination game, where they defeated the Bears 8-5 for their first NCAA Softball Tournament victory in school history.
GAME 1: In the first game for the Falcons they had the tall task of taking on the reigning National Champions on their home field. Cedar Crest scored twice in the top of the first inning, stunning Texas Lutheran by taking a 2-0 lead. Senior Designated Player, Riley Tremblay (Allentown, Pa./Parkland), reached base on a single and was moved over to second on a sacrifice hit by sophomore center fielder Renee Snyder (Allentown, Pa./Parkland). Graduate student second baseman Nicole Santaniello (Kissimmee, Fl./Osceola) hit an RBI double to give the Black & Yellow a 1-0 lead. After Santaniello advanced to third-base after a wild pitch, junior third baseman Delaney VanBuskirk (Bridgeville, Del./Woodbridge) got an RBI by grounding out to second-base. After those two runs, Texas Lutheran would take over the game, scoring seven in the first, eight in the second, four in the third, and two in the fourth to take a 21-2 lead. In the top of the fifth inning, Tremblay flied out to center field for a sacrifice fly and an RBI, but that would be it for the Falcons, as they fell 21-3 to the Bulldogs.
With that loss, the Falcons awaited the loser of the Emory & Henry College (Va.) Wasps and the Bridgewater State University (Mass.) Bears to play in the elimination game. The Bears would suffer a 4-0 loss to Emory & Henry and had to battle with Cedar Crest to stay alive in the NCAA Division III Tournament.
GAME 2: The Falcons were scoreless in the first inning, but Bridgewater State got one run across the plate to take an early 1-0 lead. Cedar Crest would counter with three runs in the second and third innings to take a 6-1 lead over the Bears. After a scoreless fourth inning, the Black and Yellow would tack on two more runs in the fifth inning to take an 8-1 lead, but Bridgewater State would score three times in the bottom of the fifth, and added another in the sixth to put the game at its final score of 8-5.
Eight Falcons reached on base hits, being led by Tremblay, who put together a 3-for-5 performance with four RBIs. Graduate student shortstop Dallas Horning (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty), and junior left fielder Rachel Savini (Wilmington, DE/Delaware Military Academy) each had a pair of hits in the victory, with Horning scoring a run and Savini scored twice and was walked once. Senior right fielder Ashley Heller (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) recorded a base hit that drove in two RBIs, while Snyder had an RBI. Senior Danielle Krispin (Tunkhannock, Pa./Tunkhannock) scored three runs for the Black and Yellow to go with her single base-hit, as senior Patricia Dalton (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area) and Santaniello also reached on base hits.
Graduate Student Breanna Young (Easton, PA/Wilson Area) got the start in the circle for Cedar Crest in Game 2, where she threw 4.1 innings. She allowed four runs, two earned, on six hits, with two walks. Young recorded 11 flyouts and two groundouts in the 22 batters she faced. Freshman Corinne Mundy (Philadelphia, Pa./The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush) entered the game in relief, throwing for 2.2 innings of work. She allowed one earned run on just one hit, and two walks. Mundy earned six groundouts and two flyouts in the 12 batters she threw against. Young received the win in the decision, putting her up to (8-1) on the year. Mundy also recorded the save, her first of the season.
With this win, Cedar Crest has won its first NCAA D-III Softball Championship Tournament game in school history and has kept them alive in the tournament. Tomorrow, the Falcons will take on the loser of the Emmanuel College (Mass.) and Emory & Henry College (WV), which is scheduled for 4:00 PM CST / 5:00 PM EST. For more information on the NCAA Division III Softball Regional Tournament, head to https://tlubulldogs.com/tournaments/sball/2020-21/index
