Top Seeds UIC and Detroit Mercy Advance in the Winner’s Bracket, Northern Kentucky Survives Elimination Game on #HLSB Day 2
CHICAGO – The 2019 #HLSB Championship continued on Thursday with No. 1 UIC and No. 2 Detroit Mercy opening their championships with victories while Northern Kentucky earned a victory in an elimination game to advance to Friday’s action.
No. 12 UIC 12, No. 5 IUPUI 3 (5 innings)
Box Score
Regular season champion UIC started off its title defense strong on Thursday, defeating IUPUI 12-3 in five innings. The Flames plated a quick five innings in the first and maintained at least a four-run advantage throughout the contest.
Jennah Speth started in the circle for the Flames, throwing 3.1 innings, allowing a three-run home run to her younger sister IUPUI’s Jaida Speth. The Jags’ offense collected just two hits in the contest of Jennah Speth and Allie Trudeau who closed out the fourth and handled the fifth for UIC.
Offensively, Tara McElligott led the Flames with 4 RBIs, including a two-run home run and an RBI double. Horizon League Player of the Year Kayla Wedl also homered for UIC in the contest, while Lexi Watts broke the League career steals record in the fifth inning.
No. 1 seed UIC will battle No. 2 seed Detroit Mercy on Friday, May 10 at 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT for a spot in Saturday’s championship game.
No. 2 Detroit Mercy 6, No. 6 Oakland 3
Box Score
Detroit Mercy began its run in the championship with a win on Thursday, defeating Oakland 6-3 in the second game of the day. Horizon League Pitcher of the Year Ashley Mauser allowed just one earned run in 5.1 innings to earn the victory for the Titans.
The Titans opened the scoring in the second, plating one on an error before a two-run blast by Courtney Gilbert put Detroit Mercy up 3-0 in the third inning. The Titans would add another run on a solo shot by Jordan Manno in the fourth.
Oakland put up a run in the sixth on an RBI double by Jamie Squires to cut the lead to 5-1, but the Titans immediately responded with an RBI single by Gilbert to increase the lead to 6-1. The Golden Grizzlies plated two more runs in the seventh, courtesy of Mikayela Marciniak’s single and a groundout by Squires, but it was not enough as the Titans secured the 6-3 victory.
No. 2 seed Detroit Mercy will now take on top-seeded UIC on Friday, May 10 at 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT in the second game of the day.
No. 4 Northern Kentucky 3, No. 6 Oakland 2
Box Score
NKU avoided elimination for the second time, outlasting Oakland 3-2 in the final game of day two. Taylor Ginther tossed a complete game for the Norse, allowing just one earned run on six hits in the circle.
Ava Lawson was terrific for the Norse offensively, putting NKU up 1-0 with an RBI triple in the first, scoring in the frame on a sac fly, then blasting a solo home run off the top of the wall in the sixth to add an insurance run for NKU.
Shannon Carr was 3-3 at the plate for the Golden Grizzlies as she scored off a Jessie Munson single in the seventh to cut the NKU lead down to 3-2 before a pop up gave the Norse the win.
NKU will take on No. 5 seed IUPUI at 1 p.m. ET/noon CT on Friday, May 10.