Championship Central |
Tournament Bracket
EAST PEORIA, Ill. – Four programs advanced to Saturday and two more were eliminated on the second day of the 2021 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Softball Championship Tournament from the EastSide Centre. Four of the top-five seeds remain as the field narrows to determine the GLVC’s automatic qualifier into the NCAA Division II Midwest regional.
Second-seeded McKendree University and fifth-seeded Rockhurst University continued to roll on Friday, advancing to face each other in the winners’ side. No. 1 University of Indianapolis, which dropped a decision to Rockhurst on Friday, battled back in the evening to remain in East Peoria. After losing its opener on Thursday, fourth-seeded Maryville University has stayed alive and will face UIndy tomorrow.
Three games will be played on Saturday from the EastSide Centre, with unblemished teams McKendree and Rockhurst facing off at 10 a.m. CT in the winners’ bracket. Top-seeded UIndy and fourth-seeded Maryville face elimination at noon, as the winner will then battle the loser of the morning contest at 2 p.m.
DAY TWO RESULTS
#5 Rockhurst 3, #1 UIndy 2
BOX |
GLVCSN | RECAPS:
RU,
UINDY
Trailing by a pair with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, Josie Lindemann put the Hawks ahead for good with a three-run homer off UIndy freshman Kenzee Smith. Rockhurst’s Lexie Storrer – who began the 2021 tournament with a perfect game against Maryville on Friday – pitched yet another gem, allowing just one earned run over seven frames while striking out 13 of the top-seeded Greyhounds. Lindeman’s dinger was one of three hits on the afternoon for the Hawks, as Lauren Marks and Shelby Winkelman also tallied hits.
#2 McKendree 9, #3 Drury 1 (6 innings)
BOX |
GLVCSN | RECAPS:
MCK,
DU
After sneaking away with a 1-0 victory on Friday, the Bearcat bats came alive to lift McKendree to a 9-1 victory and advance in the winners’ bracket. Down a run after top of the first, Shelby Summer knocking in a pair in the bottom half of the inning with an infield knock. Summer, along with Jenny Homann and Paige Hayden, drilled homers to stretch the lead to 6-1. Homann and Miranda Gajewski capped the win with RBI knocks in the sixth inning, to reach the eight-run short-game standard.
#4 Maryville 3, #3 Drury 0
BOX |
GLVCSN | RECAPS:
MU,
DU
Bouncing back for the next game, Drury was unable to muster any offense before falling to fourth-seeded Maryville, 3-0. Saints’ ace Alyssa Callans delivered once again, surrendering just one hit in the complete game shutout, leading Maryville into Saturday. Kim DeBold knocked in two of the Saints’ three runs, while McKenna McCoy added an insurance knock in the sixth. Overall, Seven Saints recorded a hit in the win.
#1 UIndy 12, #7 Lewis 2
BOX |
GLVCSN | RECAPS:
UINDY,
LEWIS
Facing elimination, the top-seeded Greyhounds were not messing around in the final game of the day. Wasting no time, UIndy put up three straight crooked numbers, including a 3-spot in each of the first two innings. GLVC Player of the Year Gianni Iannantone capped a five-run third for the Greyhounds with a three-run dinger, putting the game out of reach. Brooke Montgomery and Lexy Rees also drilled homers in the win, while Hallie Waters tossed four frames to earn the win.