May 7, 2009, Greencastle, Ind. — Fifth-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.
Melanie Bushman led off the inning with a walk and Julie Miller entered as a pinch-runner. Marah Robinson followed with a sacrifice bunt before Kayla Crager reached on a two-out error allowing Miller to score.
Each team totaled four hits as Cassie Byrd had a couple of singles for the Thunder. Trine left eight runners stranded in the game including two each in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings.
Justine Johnson improved to 18-9 on the season with the four-hit shutout, while Amber Matthews dropped to 12-6 with the loss.
Trine dropped to 29-11 with the loss and takes on top-seed and fourth-ranked Ohio Northern this afternoon at 4 p.m., while Defiance improved to 29-14 and plays next on Friday at 2 p.m.
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/SoftballWith 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
/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/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