NEWPORT NEWS – The Christopher Newport Captains will move on to the NCAA Division III softball Elite Eight at Taylor Field in Marshall, Texas, starting June 1.
With one swing, Katie Currin made sure of it, helping CNU defeat Virginia Wesleyan 6-4 Saturday afternoon at Captains Park in a decisive Super Regional Game 3.
The Captains, who won 3-1 Friday in Game 1, needed one win Saturday to capture the best-of-three series. However, they lost Saturday’s first game by a 5-2 count, forcing Game 3.
With the season on the line, both teams matched up their aces. CNU opted for Kate Alger, Friday’s winner, and VWU reciprocated with Lauren Bible, who entered the game with a 15-1 season record.
CNU, which lost a coin flip and therefore batted first in Game 3, jumped to a 3-0 lead, then allowed the Marlins to chip away. VWU eventually tied the game at 3 in the fifth inning.
In the top of the sixth, Brooke Childress drew a walk to open the inning, and Kensley Hess beat out a bunt, putting runners on first and second. Kendall Bentley’s sacrifice put them on second and third, leaving CNU coach Keith Parr to make a gutsy decision to pinch-hit Currin for Abby Rochette.
“Katie has been good in these situations. She stays ready to play, and we needed hard contact,” he said.
Parr could not have asked for a better response as Currin entered the game and drilled the first pitch over the left-center-field fence, breaking open the game into a 6-3 CNU lead.
From there, Alger could relax a bit and finish out the proceedings.
“I am so happy for Katie. No one deserved it more,” Alger said. “(The home run) helped a lot.
Currin, named the Super Regional’s outstanding player, said, “We were talking about it in the dugout and I was looking (for an outside pitch). I was ready.”
Parr, hoping for Currin to bring home a run, appreciated the outcome of his decision, saying, “The home run was a big bonus.”
The Marlins (39-13) would score one more run but could not negotiate enough of a rally to pull even.
“We knew it would be a battle,” Virginia Wesleyan coach Brandon Elliott said. “Our team could have folded, but they did everything that was asked of them. I couldn’t be more proud.”
The CNU-VWU rivalry is unique as two teams have won four of the last five Division III championships. CNU is the defending champion after last season’s historic 47-1 season.
CNU’s conference rival Salisbury and Coe, from Iowa, will be two of the three other teams in Bracket 1 with CNU in the double-elimination round.
The equalizer
Virginia Wesleyan forced the third game behind the momentum of a four-run third inning that buoyed the Marlins to a 5-2 win.
CNU threatened to put the game away early, scoring both of its runs in the top of the first inning. Bianca Palmer-Scott led off with a single and promptly stole second base. Meredith Brickner advanced Palmer-Scott to third with a sacrifice bunt. Nicole Apai walked and reached second on a fielder’s choice.
Both runners scored when Hess’ grounder to first went through the legs of the Marlins’ first baseman into right field.
Virginia Wesleyan cut the lead in half in the bottom of the second when Caitlyn Myers drilled a Jamie Martin pitch over the center-field fence.
Sarah Prosser opened the bottom of the third with a chopper over Martin’s head and beat the throw to first. A stolen base followed, along with another high hopper from Laci Campbell that was bobbled by Martin, putting runners on first and third.
Campbell’s attempt to steal third was boosted when the catcher’s throw went into center field, scoring Prosser. Campbell would score next on Alison Pollack’s sacrifice fly.
Emma Adams singled and Emily Halloway came on to pinch-run, scoring on Myers’ triple. Myers scored the final run on a Julie Piotrowski double.
While Martin hit rough patches in the fourth, she settled down and held the Marlins scoreless for the rest of the game. However, the Captains’ bats never woke up. Emily Seale (16-6) gave up four hits for the win.
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