Day 3 Recaps - 2018 NISC

TOLEDO 3, AUSTIN PEAY 0
RICHMOND, KY – Kailey Minarchick more than held up her end of an elimination game in the NISC on Friday, spinning a three-hit shutout for Toledo against Austin Peay.

The Rockets (35-22) will face host Eastern Kentucky or Towson in another elimination game later Friday.

Minarchick (19-6) was especially dialed in for the seventh inning, getting back-to-back strikeouts to start the frame. She finished with one walk and four strikeouts.

Megan Choate hit a leadoff triple on the bottom of the fifth inning and scored on a sacrifice fly by Brittney Davis to break a scoreless tie; Kylie Norwood’s single and a bases-loaded walk to Bekah Yenrick pushed the Rockets ahead, 3-0.

Austin Peay (39-19) got a double from Danielle Liermann. Kelly Mardones allowed just three hits in her six innings of work.
 
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 6, LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 5 (Game 1)
GREELEY, CO – In a game where the teams combined for 11 runs in the first three innings and then never scored again, South Dakota State held off Loyola Marymount to force another title game Friday in their NISC Regional.

Julia Andersen started things off right for South Dakota State (37-17) with a solo home run in the top of the first inning. The Jackrabbits brought home another run on a two-out single from Dana Chavez, and Megan Rushing came through with a three-run home run to center field, making it 5-0 before LMU came up to bat.

The Lions (30-24-1) responded with two runs in the second and three more in the third – in the latter frame, LMU got home runs from Delanie Wisz (her 11th of the year) and Andrea Gonzalez. A runner did reach on an error in the sixth inning but was stranded.
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Sabrina Tebou singled to lead off the seventh inning; Lindsey Matoi moved her to second base on a sacrifice, but the threat was ended on a long flyout to right field, with Tebou called out for leaving second base too early on her attempt to tag up to third.
 
UT ARLINGTON 5, TEXAS TECH 2

CONWAY, AR – UT Arlington scored all of its runs in the second inning and never let Texas Tech get totally untracked, as freshman pitcher Randi Phillips threw 5 1/3 innings of scoreless relief and the Mavericks won the NISC Region 4 championships Friday.  

UT Arlington (30-26) got runners on second and third with no outs in the second inning after two hits and a wild pitch; after a strikeout, Brittany Wyllie drove in two runs with a single. Laura Curry followed with another single, and Melanie Mendoza’s single drove in a run, with another coming across on an error. Sandra Mendoza followed with another RBI hit.

Texas Tech (31-28) got 5 2/3 innings of scoreless relief from Erin Edmoundson, who allowed four hits and struck out three. Heaven Burton and Breanna Russell each had an RBI for the Raiders.
 
LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 7, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 1 (Game 2)

GREELEY, CO – Alicia Brown was unbeatable in the batter’s box for Loyola Marymount in the Region 1 NISC championship game, smoking two home runs and backing up the strong pitching of Hannah Bandimere as the Lions rolled past South Dakota State.  

Brown hit a solo home run in the second inning to open the scoring for the Lions (31-24-1), and she added another RBI with a single in the fourth inning that brought in Delanie Wisz. Brown’s work wasn’t finished, by any stretch, as she drove in an insurance run with a single in the sixth. Brooke Christensen also had a run-scoring hit in the frame.

South Dakota State (37-18) put runners on second and third with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning, and pinch hitter Paige Gerdes reached base on an error that scored a run, cutting LMU’s lead to 2-1.

Molly Grumbo scored another run for Loyola Marymount in the top of the seventh, and Brown capped her monster day with a two-run two-out home run.

Bandimere allowed nine hits to go with one walk and four strikeouts.
 
UNLV 5, NEVADA 0

LAS VEGAS, NV – Janine Petmecky had all the answers for UNLV in its elimination game Friday against Nevada, tossing a three-hit shutout as the Rebels moved on in the NISC.

UNLV (33-19) will face UC Riverside later Friday, needing to win two straight against the Highlanders to win the regional.

Petmecky (21-7) allowed four walks and notched three strikeouts.

Kiley Harrison had two RBI for the Rebels, and Brooke Stover had two hits and two runs. Petmecky, who also bats leadoff, doubled to lead off the sixth inning and scored on a hit from Justine Federe to make it 5-0.

Nevada (26-27) got a double from Erika Hansen.
 
UC RIVERSIDE 7, UNLV 1

LAS VEGAS, NV – Chelsey Holley hit a two-run homer in the second inning, and Tayler Misfeldt was tough in the circle as UC Riverside wrapped up an undefeated run through Region 2 to claim the championship Friday.

Jenae Lockwood drove in a run with a single in the third inning, and the Highlanders (36-22) tacked on key insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth when Jenna Curtan drove in Karter Williams, Emma Ramelot looped another RBI single into right field, and Lockwood hammered another hit to send UC Riverside up, 6-1.

Misfeldt allowed four hits to go with five walks and six strikeouts.   

UNLV (33-20) scored in the third inning on a hit from Renae Bondi.
 
TOWSON 4, EASTERN KENTUCKY 3

RICHMOND, KY - It was a nail-biter for most of the Eastern Kentucky vs. Towson NISC match-up on Friday morning. Ultimately, a bottom of seventh comeback by Towson sealed their victory.

Towson will move on to the NISC Eastern Kentucky Regional Championship on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET. EKU will play again tonight at 6 p.m. ET in a elimination game against Toledo. 

The Tigers didn't jump on the board until the bottom of the fourth by scoring one run. Again, in the bottom of the fifth they plated a run to tie it up 2-all after a RBI-double from Brook Miko.

EKU responded with a home run in the sixth putting the pressure back on Towson to make a late comeback. It all came down to the bottom of the seventh opportunity and the top of the Tigers  lineup shined. Back-to-back hits from Kendyl Scott, Riley Thies and Madison Wilson tied it up 3-all and then Miko capped it off in walk-off fashion producing an RBI single. Miko was 3-4 at the plate with two crucial RBI. 

The Colonels had control in several points of the game. Hannah Clark came up big for the team multiple times and ended up 2-3 at the plate with a home run and two RBI. 
 
EASTERN KENTUCKY 8, TOLEDO 0

RICHMOND, KY - After suffering a one-run loss in the game prior, Eastern Kentucky came out hot and ready to take on Toledo in their NISC elimination game.

The shutout win sends EKU to the NISC Eastern Kentucky Regional Championship title game on Saturday at Noon ET. The Colonels will face undefeated Towson once again to try and redeem themselves.

The offense performance was consistent throughout the entire game for the Colonels as they scored in five out of seven innings and scattered 11 hits as a team.

Destinee Lizzmore and Hannah Clark were an impressive duo, both going 2-4 at the dish. Lizzmore had two RBI and Clark crushed a team-high four RBI. On the defensive side of the diamond, Murphy McRoberts threw a three-hit gem and earned her second win of the tournament.