Walk Offs Send Fontbonne and Spalding to Championship

The fans in attendance for the elimination round of the 2023 SLIAC Softball Tournament got their money's worth as the tournament featured walk-off wins in all three games including both elimination games. It marked the first time in conference history that three consecutive games were won in walk-off fashion and at the end of the day it was Fontbonne University and Spalding University walking into the championship round.

Elimination Round - #2 Fontbonne University defeated #4 Greenville University, 5-4 (8 inn.)
Fontbonne played some small ball in the opening frame to take an early lead when Lilly Jones scored on a sacrifice fly from Ashley Carrow. Greenville used back-to-back doubles in the 3rd inning from Jamey Johnson and Madi Case to draw even. In the bottom half, it was Mackenzie How and Ashley Carrow working together again. Patience Vandermierden led the inning off with a double and would score on a triple by How. Carrow then drove in How with a double putting the Griffins up 3-1. Greenville fought their way back again, tying the game up at three with a two-run single by Emma Longcor in the 6th inning. The Panthers grabbed their first lead of the game in the top of the 8th when Desirae Yost doubled in Sarah Salas. That lead would not last long as Jones started the bottom of the inning with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice. A single by Grace Paez put the winning run on base and Carrow followed with a single up the middle to tie the game up. A ground ball by Ellie Bartle allowed pinch-runner Kassidy Chrisco to race in from third base for the winning run. 

Elimination Round - #1 Spalding University defeated #3 Webster University, 5-4
Spalding opened up a four-run lead in the 3rd inning of the winner's bracket game before Webster came back to draw the game even in the 5th. A Gorlok error started the inning for Spalding in the 3rd with Dawn Wilson and Madison Loechle loading the bases up with back-to-back singles. Another error allowed two runs to score and after another single Bella Velez brought in another two runs. The Gorlok offense, which was hitless in the first three innings, finally broke through in the 5th. A walk to Sidney Holtz started the inning and she would score two batters later on a single by Lucy St. John. Back-to-back doubles from Jaelin Holdaway and Paige Thomas evened the score up. Loechle led the bottom of the 7th off with a double and with two outs it was Hayleigh Gnagie with an infield single that plated the winning run. 

Elimination Round - #2 Fontbonne University defeated #3 Webster University, 2-1
Meeting for the second time in the tournament it was Fontbonne that came out on top this time. Webster grabbed an early lead when Kaley Adzick brought in Katie Croxall with an RBI single in the top of the 1st inning. The Griffins pushed a run across in the bottom of the 2nd when Allysa Ibarra, who had reached on an infield single, scored on a ground out. Both pitchers kept the offenses at bay with four full scoreless innings until the Griffins came to bat in the bottom of the 7th. Ibarra once again reached base, this time with a lead-off double, and would then score on an errant throw sending the Griffins to the championship game. 

What's Next
The 2023 SLIAC Championship round is set for Saturday between the top two seeds in the tournament in #1 Spalding and #2 Fontbonne. This marks the first time that the two programs will meet in the championship game and the first time since 2018 that the top two teams in the regular season will meet in the championship game. Fontbonne is looking to defend its title from last year and win its 10th in program history while Spalding is searching for the program's first-ever SLIAC Tournament title. 

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