Greencastle, Ind. - Sixth-ranked DePauw was two outs away from being just the second team in North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament history to win four games in the loser's bracket, but Hiram rallied for five runs in the seventh of game seven and claimed the tourney title with a 5-2 win over DePauw. Top-seeded DePauw dropped to 34-9, while the Terriers improved to 24-14.

Hiram earned the NCAC's automatic qualification into the NCAA Division III Championship, while the Tigers will likely earn an at-large bid. The tournament bracket will be released tomorrow on NCAA.com.

In the first game of the day, DePauw blanked Wooster in an elimination game as Cami Henry tossed a six-hit shutout and struck out eight in improving to 25-6.

The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the first as Jade Mejia Wick's bunt single scored Grace Smith. Drew Bratcher's third-inning grounder brought home Goose Moore before Emily Timberman's single scored Paige Price.

Smith's sacrifice fly drove in Kate Geary in the fourth before Bratcher doubled in Mejia Wick in the fifth for the final run of the game.

Mejia Wick led DePauw with two of its eight hits with Wooster's Gabby Lakes totaling two of the Fighting Scots' six hits. Rachael Dudziak dropped to 6-9 with the loss as Wooster finished at 18-23.

DePauw jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first in the first game against Hiram as Mejia Wick's double scored Smith and Timberman's base hit brought home Mejia Wick.

Hiram grabbed a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the first as Abriana Schwartz led off with a single and Kylie Perez walked before Giselle Bahena homered to center.

The Tigers came right back in the second when Kelsey Bernhard led off with a double, moved to third on Smith's sacrifice bunt and scored on Mejia Wick's bunt single to even the score at 3-3.

DePauw loaded the bases with one out in the sixth, but a strikeout and foul out ended the threat. 

Hiram's Natalie Mallas led off the bottom of the seventh with a double and moved to third on Melissa Galindo's sacrifice bunt. Schwartz then attempted a squeeze bunt but popped it up to a diving Smith at short who then ran to third to double up Mallas before she could get back to the bag.

Bratcher led off the eighth with a walk, moved to second on a passed ball and to third on Bernhard's sacrifice bunt before Smith homered to right center to make it 5-3.

Henry retired the Terriers in order to pick up the win in reliefe and improve to 26-6. She truck out eight and broke the DePauw single-season strikeout mark of 260 by Megan Soultz in 2008. Darian Kanno slipped to 10-6.

Mejia Wick had three of DePauw's 10 hits, while Smith and Bernhard each had two. Four different Terriers collected one hit apiece.

The teams met one last time in the Tigers' third game of the day and played four scoreless innings before DePauw broke through with two in the fifth. Bratcher led off the inning by being hit by a pitch before pinch-runner Macey Cox was forced at second when Madi Lockridge reached on a fielder's choice. Geary walked and both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Bernhard reached on a fielder's choice grounder as Lockridge was thrown out at the plate, but Smith then followed with a single to center scoring Bernhard and Geary.

Schwartz drew a one-out walk in the seventh and advanced to second on a wild pitch. After Kylie Perez walked, Bahena followed with a double to center that scored Schwartz. Kanno was intentionally walked and Angel Santellan singled home Perez to even the score.

Leah Valdez was hit by a pitch which allowed Bahena to score and Mallas drew a bases loaded walk to score Kanno. Jeskari Rodriguez hit a sacrifice fly that brought home Santellan.

DePauw put two runners on base with no outs, but Kanno relieved Rodriguez in the circle and retired the final three DePauw batters to preserve the Terriers' win.

Smith and Katie Mathies each had one hit for DePauw with Bahena and Valdez each totaling two of Hiram's seven hits. 

Annika Garwood dropped to 2-1 on the season, while Rodriguez improved to 10-6 and Kanno notched her second save.

2022 NCAC All-Tournament Team