Box Score Decatur, Ill. - Top-seed DePauw moved one step closer to a regional title as it topped fifth-seed Calvin by a 5-3 score in game eight of the Decatur, Ill., Regional of the NCAA Championship. The Tigers improved to 37-2 with their 21st straight win, while the Knights dropped to 29-9. DePauw will battle the winner of tomorrow morning's Calvin/Mount St. Joseph game for the regional championship with first pitch scheduled for Noon CDT.
Calvin opened the scoring in the bottom of the first as Grace Stock homered with two outs. The inning started with Hannah Horvath singling, but she was thrown out attempting to steal by catcher Paige Price.
The Tigers responded in the second as Kelsey Bernhard led off with a double and moved to third on Becca St. Germain's single. Bernhard then scored on a passed ball before Drew Bratcher drove in St. Germain with a single to give DePauw a 2-1 lead.
The Knights evened the score in the third as Hannah Biddlecome singled with one out and scored on an outfield throwing error after Stock singled up the middle.
Grace Smith singled to center with one out in the fifth and moved to third when Jade Mejia Wick reached on an error. After Mejia Wick stole second, Katerina Kilgore singled home Smith. Kilgore stole second and Chase Epp made it 5-2 when she ripped a double down the left field line.
Kelsey Bernhard had two of DePauw's eight hits, while Stock had three of Calvin's five.
Cami Henry improved to 21-0 on the season an tied a DePauw NCAA postseason record with 11 strikeouts and established a DePauw postseason record for strikeouts in a seven-inning or less game. She walked just one and allowed five hits. Kirsten Krause dropped to 7-4 with the loss.
NOTES
- DePauw improved its all-time NCAA postseason record to 36-25 in its 12th appearance.
- The Tigers' 21-game win streak is the second longest in school history behiond the 2008 string of 37.
- Over her last 28 innings of NCAA play, Cami Henry has allowed just 16 hits with 34 strikeouts and a 1.25 ERA
- Henry's 21 wins mark the sixth time a DePauw player has accomplished that in a season (Megan Soultz: 36 in 2008, 29 2009 and 2010/Emily Bichler: 30 in 2011/Kahla Nolan: 23 in 2014)
- Henry's 24 strikeouts in this regional are the most by a DePauw player in NCAA postseason play since Emily Bichler totaled 27 in eight appearances in 2011
- The Tigers have stolen at least one base in 17 straight games
- Kelsey Bernhard's three doubles are the most in the NCAA postseason by a DePauw player since Taylor Golden had three in nine games in 2015
