Final Stats
SALEM, Va. – Top-seeded Angelo State outlasted West Virginia Wesleyan, 6-5, in 12 innings on the second day of the NCAA Softball Championship.
The game lasted nearly four hours and featured several lead changes and late-inning dramatics. The game-winning run came in the top of the 12th when Taegan Kirk hit a ball into the gap and a pair of Bobcat outfielders collided allowing Kenedy Urbany to score.
“Weird stuff happens to us in the second game of the national tournament,” Angelo State Travis Scott said as his team improved to 59-5 on the year. “I’m proud of the kids for finding a way to win the thing. West Virginia Wesleyan played an outstanding game and didn’t quit, and I’m glad my kids didn’t quit either.”
West Virginia Wesleyan (50-9) got out to the 1-0 lead in its first at-bat as Olivia Gore’s single scored Tori Pogue. Morgan Bruce hit her second home run in as many days in the bottom of the fourth to make it 2-0.
The Rambelles got the lead in the top of the sixth inning on a two-run home run from Courtney Barnhill, and then Danae Bina had a bunt single to make it 3-2. Angelo State added an insurance run in the top of the seventh, and it proved to be necessary. A misplayed ball in the outfield with two outs led to two runs for the Bobcats to tie the game in their final at-bat and send the game to extra innings.
“I know the kids are disappointed, but they have nothing to be ashamed of or disappointed about,” WVWC head coach Steve Warner said. “This arguably could’ve been a national championship game that people had just watched. These kids battled all season long, and I just told them to not let this be your defining moment.”
ASU’s Madison Greenwell drove in a run in the top of the ninth, but WVWC again answered in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly from Gore. That set up Kirk’s heroics in the 12th to allow the Rambelles to advance.
Barnhill finished the game going 4-for-6 with two RBI. Bina and Brooke Mangold each finished with two hits. Brandy Marlett got the start and allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits with three strikeouts and three walks. Morgan Hill (9-0) got the win in relief allowing just one unearned run on three hits in 5.1 innings of work.
Waddell had three hits to lead the Bobcats offense. Starter Hannah Vet gave up four runs on nine hits through six innings, and Sayaka Foley pitched the final six giving up two runs on seven hits with six strikeouts.