GREENCASTLE, Ind. --- The No. 17 ranked Moravian College softball team opened the 2015 NCAA Super Regionals with a come-from-behind and walk off win, defeating host DePauw University, 6-5, after eight innings in the first contest of a best-of-three series on Friday afternoon.
"It's a good way to start out. You want that first game to have the momentum going in to tomorrow," stated Head Coach John Byrne. "I would have liked to see us break out a little earlier in the game, but we left 11 or 12 people on base and threatened every inning so that was disappointing throughout the game. We had one bad inning where we blew up a little bit in the field but we certainly showed resilience to come back and tie it up. After they hit that home run to take the lead, I knew we had a big part of our line-up coming up and I knew they would step up."
Even though DePauw is the host for the Super Regional, the Greyhounds, now 38-6 on the season, are the higher seeded team and considered the home squad this afternoon. The Tigers will be the home team in game two while a coin flip will determine the home team if game three is needed in the series. The Blue & Grey's 38 victories are the second most in school history, just two behind the 2004 NCAA Division III Runner-Up squad.
Sophomore second basemen Madison Newhouser went 2-for-3 with four RBIs while junior right fielder Mary Schlosbon was 3-for-4 on the day as Moravian had nine total hits in the victory Friday afternoon.
Starting the bats for the Hounds in the first inning was Schlosbon, who singled to left field. Senior center fielder Dior George reached first after being hit by a pitch to bring up sophomore left fielder Julie Siragusa, who ended up being safe at first on an error. However, the Blue and Grey would leave the three on base at the end of the inning. In the second inning, freshman catcher Janae Matos kept the Tigers off the bases after she threw a runner out attempting to steal second base.
"I knew Josie was sick so coming in she was a little off behind the plate to start, but then she found her command which was huge because it kept runners of the bases," commented Matos. "We knew if runners got on they would try to steal so I tried to get the ball there as quick as I could even though my throw was a little high, shortstop Lizzie Deutsch was there and got the tag down for a huge out."
The Hounds would score first in the bottom of the third inning, again with Schlosbon singling down the left field line to start the inning. George would reach first after laying down a sacrifice bunt but with a throwing error put her on base and Scholosbon at third. George would later steal second to move into a tie for second in school history with 47 career stolen bases. With two outs, Newhouser singled to center field driving in both runs to take the lead, 2-0.
In the top of the sixth inning, the Tigers scored four runs to take the lead, 4-2, as DePauw capitalized on pair of errors by the Hounds for four unearned runs.
Moravian would come back in the seventh to score tie things up. Newhouser was walked with one out while Deutsch singled through the right side to put the tying run on base. With two outs, Matos doubled to right center to tie the game as Deutsch beat the throw to the plate and force extra innings.
"Coming up with two outs, I knew this first game was very important so I tried to do anything I could to get one run in and keep the game going but to get both runs in to tie the game up was cool as a freshman and it really meant a lot," Matos said.
DePauw wasted no time retaking the lead by putting up a run on a solo home run by the first batter om the top of the eighth, but the Greyhounds settled down and went three up, three down from that point to see what they could do offensively.
George singled to third base on the first pitch in the home half of the inning to have the tying run on base. Siragusa walked to cause a pitching change for senior designated player Lizzie Mack, who also walked to load the bases. Newhouser doubled to left field on a 0-1 count scoring both runs winning the game, 6-5.
"We knew we had to hit no matter who was pitching," stated Newhouser. "She was a little slower so we had to be patient and not swing at any junk pitches. She gave me a good pitch and I took advantage. I missed a lot of the season because of an injury so it felt great to help my team especially for the seniors and for Josie who was pitching a great game."
Freshman Josie Novak started in the circle for the Greyhounds earning her 19th win of the season to move into a tie for sixth in single season victories. Novak also struck out one batter to raise her season total to 161 and move into a tie for seventh in the record books.
"I am so glad to be a part of this team," commented Novak. "It is a great team and to come this far, to super regionals, I would of never have thought we would come this far and I hope we can continue this ride."
The Hounds and Tigers return to action Saturday, May 16 at 10:00 a.m. at DePauw University with a if necessary game at 12:30 p.m. to see who will move forward to the NCAA Division III World Series in Salem, Virginia, that begin on May 21.
