Box Score Greencastle, Ind. - Hiram scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh and topped DePauw, 5-4, in an elimination game in the Greencastle regional of the NCAA Division III Softball Championship. The top-seeded Tigers finished the season at 35-11, while the third-seeded Terriers improved to 26-15 and advanced to the regional championship against Berry. Complete details of the regional are available from the regional site.
Grace Smith led off the first for DePauw with a walk and moved to third on Goose Moore's double. Katie Mathies then drove in Smith with a bunt single. The Tigers loaded the bases but a force out at the plate and a fly out ended the threat.
Hiram responded in the bottom of the first as Kylie Perez doubled with one out before Darian Kanno doubled with two outs. Angel Santellan then hit a ball to short that Smith couldn't get a clear view of as Perez was running toward third. Perez went all the way around to score on the play. After Leah Valdez was hit by a pitch, Giselle Chavez reached on an error that allowed Kanno to score.
Hiram extended the lead to 3-1 in the fourth as Melissa Galindo was hit by a pitch and moved to third on Hunter Whitton's grounder. Abrianna Schwartz followed with a double that plated Galindo. DePauw evened the score in the fifth as Moore walked and moved to second on Abby Pyburn's sacrifice bunt and to third on Emily Timberman's grounder. Paige Price drove in Moore with a single. After Drew Bratcher walked, pinch-hitter Caleigh Cramer singled, scoring Price and tying the contest at 3-3.
Kelsey Bernhard led off the sixth with a walk and moved to third when Smith singled. Jeskari Rodriguez replaced Kanno in the circle and pinch-hitter Chase Epp drew a walk to load the base. Timberman singled through the left side, scoring Bernhard and giving the Tigers a 4-3 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, Perez singled with one out and moved th second on Giselle Bahena's single. Kanno followed with a double that brought home Perez to tie the contest at 4-4. After Angel Santellan was intentionally walked, Valdez delivered a walk-off single for the win.
Alyssa Anderson led DePauw with two of its eight hits. Perez, Kanno and Santellan each had two of Hiram's nine hits.
Kersten Brayton dropped to 2-2 in the circle, while Rodriguez improved to 11-7.
Smith and Kandra Butcher earned spots on the all-regional team.
