Griffins and Panthers in Championship Game

Friday marked elimination day in the 2022 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Softball Tournament. At the end of it, the two teams remaining and advancing to the championship round on Saturday are Fontbonne University and Greenville University. First pitch will be at 12:30 p.m. at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria, Ill. You can watch the championship game with College Casts HERE

Game 5 Recap - Greenville vs. Webster
In the day's first elimination game the Greenville University offense attacked early jumping to a fast start against Webster University. The Panthers started the scoring with a one-out bunt single by Morgan Wendling in the 1st inning. A single back to the pitcher by Jaclyn Belzer kept the inning alive, long enough for Mia Boyd to double down the line and score Wendling. The Panthers busted out for four runs in the 2nd inning, starting the frame with three straight singles. Emma Funk led the inning off and was followed by a single from Megan Chapman. Katie Woodruff added a tally to the scoreboard with an RBI single. Two batters later Wendling tripled to clear the bases and make the score 4-0. The scoring commenced for the Panthers on an errant throw that attempted to double off a runner at third. 

After a leadoff single in the 1st inning, Greenville pitcher Alison Klaus sat down the next 13 Gorlok batters. Sheyla Iniguez ended that stretch with a one-out triple in the bottom of the 5th inning. Ashlee Seltzer followed with a single to bring the score 5-1. The Gorloks got back into the game in the 6th when Paige Thomas delivered a two-run home run that scored Sidney Holtz who had previously doubled. But that would be all of the scoring in the game as Klaus retired the final four Gorlok batters in the game.

Game 6 Recap - Fontbonne vs. Spalding
The winners' bracket game pitted the two top seeds against each other in Fontbonne University and Spalding University. Both teams went down in order in the 1st inning but the 2nd bats heated up in the 2nd. Spalding had a pair of singles in the inning, including a lead-off single by Bella Velez, but was unable to push a run across the plate. Meanwhile in the bottom half Lexi Becker started things for the Griffins with a one-out single. Grace Harlin doubled to put runners at second-and-third with one out. Ellie Bartlett lifted a ball to right field, allowing Becker to tag and score, and she was quickly followed home by a sliding Harlin after the throw from the outfield went to the backstop. 

Spalding got on the board in the 4th when Madison Loechle singled up the middle, scoring Jessica Tucker who had led off the inning with a single of her own. But that would be the Golden Eagles' last best chance, stranding two runners in the inning, and managing just one hit over the final three innings. 

Fontbonne extended its lead with two runs in the 5th thanks to RBIs from Hannah Miener and Becker, pushing the score to 7-1. Griffin pitcher Sam Foppe picked up the complete-game win, striking out five. 

Game 7 Recap - Spalding vs. Greenville
The Panthers kept their bats hot in its second game of the day, topping Spalding 7-1 to move on to the championship round. After plating all five of their runs in the first two innings in their first game, Greenville did the same in game two; scoring three runs in their first at-bat and all seven of their runs in the game in the first three innings. The Panthers used two errors in the 1st inning to take a 2-0 lead with Taylor Weiss coming through with an RBI double to make it 3-0. Morgan Wendling started the 3rd with a single and would later score on a single by Weiss. Emma Funk added to the score with a two-run home run that put Greenville up 7-0. 

Spalding cut into the lead with a run in the 4th when Grayce Marcum scored on a fielding error. The Golden Eagles had a chance to add to the lead when Allison Nell singled and Kailey Reed walked, loading the bases, but they saw the inning come to a close on a ground out. Spalding had just one hit over the final three innings as Alison Klaus notched the win going all 7 innings and allowing just one run on four hits while striking out five.