May 7, 2009, Greencastle, Ind. — With all of the game's scoring taking place in the first inning, 15th-ranked and second-seeded DePauw took a 2-1 win over seventh-seeded Hiram in the first round of the NCAA Division III Championship.
The Tigers improved to 29-7 and take on Thomas More at Noon on Friday, while Hiram dropped to 26-15 and faces Adrian tomorrow at 10 a.m.
Hiram took a 1-0 lead in the first as Stephanie Zunic led off the game with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Megan Samuel drew a walk before before Whitney Dropsey singled to load the bases. Chastine Romanello hit a grounder to first and the Tigers got the force at the plate, but the ball got away on the throw down to first allowing Samuel to score.
DePauw struck back in the bottom of the first as Chelsy Patterson walked and moved to second on Brianne Weeks' sacrifice bunt. Rachel Gill delivered a run-scoring double and Jen Kosinski scored Gill with a single to left.
The Tigers totaled seven hits in the win led by Emma Minx with two. Samuel paced the Terriers with two of their five hits.
Megan Soultz improved to 26-7 with the win and extended her streak of not allowing an earned run to 52 2/3 innings. Whitney Dropsey dropped to 17-9 with the loss.
Liz Decima's one-out single to center in the bottom of the ninth scored Mandi Fought and lifted top-seed and fourth-ranked Ohio Northern to a 4-3 win over fourth-seed Trine in the day's final game in the first round of the NCAA Division III Softball Championship
/Athletics/SoftballSixth-seed Thomas More battle back from a 3-0 deficit to force extra innings and then scored one in the top of the tenth for a 4-3 win over Adrian in game two of the first round of the NCAA Division III Softball Championship
/Athletics/SoftballFifth-seed Defiance scored an unearned run in the fourth and it was all it would need as the Yellow Jackets took a 1-0 win over fourth-seed Trine in the opening game of the first round of the NCAA Softball Championship
/Athletics/SoftballThe 28-7 Tigers are making their third straight appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship and are one of eight first-round hosts
/Athletics/SoftballIn a battle of top-25 teams, 17th-ranked DePauw swept a doubleheader from 21st-ranked Washington University, 4-0 and 1-0
/Athletics/Softball