ATLANTA, GA.-- After winning the NCAA® Division III Angola Regional Championship, Trine will head to the Atlanta Super-Regional where they will face Emory for a chance to earn a berth in the National Championship.
The winner of the best-of-three series between the Thunder and Eagles will earn a berth in the 2014 NCAA® Division III National Championships, which will be held May 22-27 in Tyler, Texas. Trine earned their first-ever Regional Championship this past weekend, setting a school-record with 41 wins in the process. The Thunder lost their second game of the tournament to Muskingum 5-4, and had to rally back to beat DePauw once and the Muskies twice to earn the right to advance. Emory reached the Super-Regionals by sweeping through their own region. The Eagles defeated Agnes Scott, 5-1, before taking a pair from Peidmont by final scores of 13-12 and 6-1.
First pitch of the series is slated for 4:00 p.m. Friday, May 16 at Emory Softball Field. Game two will take place at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, with the if-necessary game three following at 3:30 p.m.
For more information on the 2014 NCAA® DIII Softball Atlanta Super Regional, CLICK HERE.
Team Statistical Comparison:
Emory | Trine | |
Runs Per Game | 7.80 | 8.16 |
Home Runs | 45 | 48 |
Stolen Bases | 38 | 90 |
Batting Average | .364 | .372 |
On-Base Percentage | .439 | .436 |
Slugging Percentage | .574 | .584 |
Strikeouts/7 innings | 5.83 | 8.80 |
ERA | 2.26 | 1.75 |
Fielding Percentage | .960 | .969 |
Key Players
Emory is led by University Athletic Association Most Valuable Player Megan Light. The first-baseman has batted .468 with a 1.000 slugging percentage to go along with 18 home runs and 64 RBI's. Third baseman Hannah Sendel was named First-Team All-UAA and hit .407 with 14 home runs and 57 RBI's.
Second baseman Claire Bailey, pitcher Amanda Kurdys and outfielder Ally Kresthold wiere all Second-Team All-UAA performers. Kurdys figures to see the bulk of the work in the circle this weekend and enters the Super-Regional 27-1 with a 2.67 ERA. Bailey batted .367 with a .484 on-base percentage, one home run and 19 RBI's. Kresthold slugged .531 with one home run and 31 RBI's.
Trine had six NFCA All-Central Region performers, led by first-team performers Bree Fuller (Hubbardston, Mich./Fulton), Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) and Kaitlyn Clark (Mount Juliet, Tenn./Wilson Central). Fuller was named the MIAA's Most Valuable Pitcher, throwing Trine's first perfect game and a no-hitter this season.
Searles has tied the NCAA Division III record with 17 triples and was most-recently named the Most Outstanding Player of the Angola Regional. Clark leads the team with 16 home runs and 61 RBI's, and is threatening school-records in both categories.
Second-Team NFCA All-Central Region performers include shortstop Haleigh Daniels (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton), designated player Rachel Harris (Uniontown, Ohio/Hoover) and third baseman Kendra Marshall (Leesburg, Ind./Warsaw).
Daniels topped the 100-career RBI mark on her way to making the Angola Region All-Tournament team and won Trine's Cheryl L. Coons Award for Outstanding Senior Female Athlete. Harris has cleaned up for the Thunder all season and is batting .380 with eight homers and 43 RBI's. Marshall hit her first two home runs in the MIAA Tournament and is batting .379 with 39 runs knocked in.
Trine enters the weekend series 41-4 overall and ranked seventh in the nation, while Emory comes in with a record of 39-7 and the no. 15 national ranking.