Softball Tournament Continues with Exciting Wins

The first day at Louisville Slugger Complex in Peoria, Illinois for the 2023 SLIAC Softball Tournament proved to be an exciting one with one upset and one walk-off, extra-inning come-from-behind win. 

Semifinal Round - #1 Spalding University defeated #4 Greenville University, 3-2 (8 innings) 
Greenville struck first in the day's opening action, plating two runs in the top of the 1st inning. Mia Boyd reached on a one-out infield single. After a fly ball, Sarah Salas stepped up and turned on high pitch, delivering over the fence for a two-run shot. However, that would be the only runs the Panthers would plate as Spalding starter Michaela Ferman settled down, allowing just four hits over the remainder of the game. With Ferman rolling the Golden Eagle offense went to work, getting on the board in the 3rd inning. An error allowed Spalding to put a runner on base and three batters later Madison Loechle would deliver their first run with a single to center. 

Down 2-1 entering the bottom of the 7th the Golden Eagles scraped together a single and double to start the inning off, scoring the tying run. Ferman set the Panthers down in order in the top of the 8th and again it was Loechle making things happen for Spalding. She led the bottom half of the inning off with a double and promptly scored when Grayce Marcum hit the walk-off winner. 

Semifinal Round - #3 Webster University defeated #2 Fontbonne University, 7-1 
The second game of the day featured rivals Fontbonne and Webster meeting. The Gorloks were the first to score, piecing together two runs on three hits in the 3rd inning. The Griffins answered back in the bottom half when Patience Vandermierden willed her team to a run with a hustle play. Vandermierden laid down a bunt and an errant throw scooted past the first baseman, meanwhile, Vandermierden continued her run around the bases before sliding into home and beating the throw. The hustle was not enough though as Webster quickly responded with two more runs in their next at bat.

Jaelin Holdaway doubled in a run and would later score on an error to put Webster up 4-1. The Gorlloks tacked on two more runs in the 6th, on a Holdaway double, and another in the 7th, on another Griffin error. Kaley Adzick recorded the win for Webster, going 7 innings and holding Fontbonne to just five hits. Holdaway finished the game with three of her team's 10 hits, driving in three and scoring two more. 

What's Next 
Spalding and Webster move into the tournament's winners bracket and will meet at 2:30 p.m. on Friday. Fontbonne and Greenville will face off in the tournament's first elimination game at 12 p.m. The final game of the evening will be at 5 p.m. between the winner of Fontbonne and Greenville and the loser of Spalding and Webster. You can catch all of the tournament action live courtesy of College Casts broadcasting. 

- #SLIACtion -