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Homepage > Athletics > NCAA Regional - Washington Univ.
05/12/06
Women's Softball - vs. NCAA Regional-Washington Univ.
Saints win NCAA Regional opener
St. Scholastica picked up the only runs they'd need with a first inning two-run homer from senior pitcher Laura Heise as the Saints beat Washington (Mo.) University 2-0 in the opening round of the NCAA Midwest Regional in Indianola, Iowa.
The victory moves the Saints (37-7) into the winner's bracket of the Regional where they will next play top-seed and No. 1 in the nation St. Thomas (42-2), a 15-2 opening round winner over #8-seed Concordia-Wisconsin.
Shortstop Dre Thomas' one-out single through the left side was followed by Hiese's poke down the rightfield line to put the #5-seed Saints on top of a 4th-seeded Grizzlies team that they'd already beaten three times earlier in the season.
Heise ( 26-4) kept Wash.U. at bay the entire game allowing only five base runners on four hits over seven innings, striking out 12 without allowing a walk. The Grizzlies (35-6) never put two runners on base in any inning.
In contrast, the Saints had their opportunities as they left eight runners on base but only managed the pair of first inning runs.
Heise and Thomas, both UMAC All-Conference players, each had a pair of hits in the game for the Saints.
The win was historic for head coach Jen Walters as it was her 200th career victory against only 100 losses (.667 winning percentage). In her seventh year with the Saints, Walters has led the team to winning records five times including the past four seasons, to eight consecutive regular-season conference crowns and to five UMAC post-season tournament titles in a row.
In other Midwest Regional first-round action, #7-seed and host Simpson College upset #2 Wartburg College 7-3, and #3 Louisiana College took care of #6 Fontbonne (Mo.) University 7-4.
Second-round action on Friday includes loser's bracket match-ups between Wash.U. and Concordia-Wis. at 10 a.m., as well as a noontime game between Wartburg and Fontbonne.
The Saints and Tommies open winner's bracket play Friday at 5 p.m. and will be followed by a Simpson vs. La. College game that is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.
The winner of the eight team, double-elimination Indianola bracket will move on to the NCAA Division-III Finals to be held in Raleigh, N.C., May 15-19, where seven more bracket winners will square off for the national title.
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