Box Score AKRON, Ohio – The No. 1-ranked Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College softball team eight-run ruled second-seeded Carlow on Wednesday at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio, to earn a spot in the USCAA National Championship game.
The Pomeroys again dominated at the plate as they eight-run ruled their second straight opponent in the USCAA National Championship Tournament. SMWC racked up 15 hits on their way to defeating Carlow, 12-4. All nine of SMWC's batters recorded a hit, with six batters recording multiple hits.
Brooke Jordan picked up her 14th win of the season as she went five complete innings, striking out two batters and allowing just five hits.
The Pomeroys were able to put together two big innings on Wednesday to secure their sixth-straight win. The first inning saw neither team score, however, the Pomeroys quickly changed that in the bottom of the second with five runs. Junior Kimberly Strattman started off the scoring with an RBI single. Sophomore Emma Riffe then hit a two-run double, which was followed by a two-run single by junior Sarah Burnham. Scoring in the second was senior Shelby Turner, junior Rebecca Latta, sophomore Breanna Lange, Riffe and Strattman.
The Pomeroys followed up their second inning performance with two more runs in the bottom of the third to take a 7-0 lead heading into the fourth. Scoring in the third was Lange off of an RBI double by freshman Kerri Schrock and Strattman off of a groundout by Riffe.
Carlow answered in the top of the fourth with two runs to cut SMWC's lead to 7-2. The Pomeroys left two runners on in the bottom of the fourth and Carlow added two more runs in the top of the fifth to tighten the game up 7-4.
The Pomeroys answered again though, and this time with enough runs to end the game. SMWC scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to secure the eight-run rule victory and advance to the USCAA National Championship. Burnham started the scoring with a two-run double that scored Riffe and Schrock. Turner then reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Burnham to score. Lange gave SMWC the 11-4 lead with an RBI single that scored Yeager.
With the bases loaded and SMWC needing one run to end the game early, Latta was at the plate and delivered with a walk-off single that scored freshman Jacklyn McClain and punched SMWC's ticket to the USCAA National Championship game.
The Pomeroys will face No. 8 Berea in the national championship tomorrow at noon. The game will be a rematch from SMWC's first game of the tournament when the Pomeroys defeated Berea, 4-2. The game will feature LIVE video and stats.
