The AU softball team went 1-1 on Saturday (May 3) at the GLIAC Tournament in Findlay. While that ended the Eagles' hopes of a GLIAC crown, that split may have been good enough to get the Eagles into the NCAA postseason for a sixth consecutive season.
The Eagles are ranked sixth in the Midwest Region. The top eight teams in the region will reach the tournament. AU went 2-2 this weekend and is 27-18.
On Saturday, the Eagles eliminated the host Oilers from this double-elimination tournament, 9-1 in five innings. AU bowed out of the tourney thanks to a 5-2 setback against the top seed, Ohio Dominican. AU's first loss came Friday to the second seed - Wayne State.
Against the Oilers, the Eagles banged out 13 hits, including five doubles. The score was tied, 1-1 when the Eagles exploded for four runs in the second inning. Second baseman Cayla Seidler brought in the first two runs with a double and she scored on another two-bagger, this one from center fielder Taylor Menhart. Menhart scored moments later on a double to right center field by third baseman Kayla Prokopakis.
UF had scored in the first inning on a homer by Jackie Messersmith, but after that, Amber McDermott was in top form. She pitched a five-inning two-hitter. McDermott is 8-2.
Seidler, Menhart, Sarah Alley, Jamie Weber and Bri Buckley had two hits each in Saturday's first game. Alley and Seidler drove in three runs apiece.
The game against ODU was scoreless when the Panthers (28-26) erupted for five runs in the fourth inning. That was a wild inning that surely left AU head coach Sheilah Gulas shaking her head. ODU had four hits in the frame. AU committed three errors and threw a pair of wild pitches. For the game, the Ealges out-hit the Panthers, 10-4. Ashland stranded 10 runners.
Seidler and Alley were 2-for-4 and Weber was 2-for-3.
The loss went to Brittany Flanigan (5-5), who worked 3.2 innings and allowed five runs (two earned) on four hits. She walked two and struck out one.
Alley was brilliant in relief. She pitched 2.1 innings and didn't allow a hit or a run.
The NCAA playoff field will be announced on Monday (May 5).
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