Tigers’ season comes to an end in NCAA Softball Regional

DePauw jumped out to a 2-0 lead after just three batters had stepped up to the plate in the Tigers’ NCAA Softball Regional game against Coe, but the top-seed Kohawks scored one in the first and eight in the second and held on for 12-9 win to advance to the Division III Super Regional round. The Tigers finished their season at 30-16-1, while Coe moved to 34-9.

Libby Minobe led off the game by being hit by a pitch and moved to second on Ella Ohrvall’s bunt before Katie Mathies homered to center to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.

Heather Boeckenstedt led off the Coe first with a single and moved to second on Madi Parson’s walk. Skyler Stookey’s single brought home Boeckenstedt and trimmed the DePauw lead to 2-1.

In the second, Parson singled and an error on the play allowed Addie Menke to score. Shaylee Dodd’s bases loaded single plated Boeckenstedt and gave the Kohawks a 3-2 advantage. Three runs then came home when the Tigers dropped a pop up before Keera Ball drove in Bree Mangelsen with a single and Marisa Vodicka delivered a two-run homer to extend the Coe lead to 9-2.

DePauw responded with Emily Timberman’s two-run homer in the third to cut the deficit to 9-4. That score held until the fifth when Ella Kuenster drove in two with a double and then scored on Riley Heim’s bunt single. Heim moved to second on the play and stole third before coming home when Kelsey Bernhard reached on a fielder’s choice to but the deficit to 9-8.

Coe came back with a pair in the bottom of the fifth as Ruby Kappeler doubled home Menke and Boeckenstedt to push the lead to 11-8. Boeckenstedt’s double in the sixth scored Maggie Strupp to extend the lead to 12-8.

Goose Moore’s seventh-inning ground out brought home Heim with the final run of the game.

Heim had three of DePauw’s 11 hits, while Mathies and Timberman each had two. Heim had four of DePauw’s 10 hits.

Alex Romero-Salas dropped to 13-7, while Ellie Thurow moved to 18-4. Abbie White collected her first save.

DePauw rallied to the regional final after falling to Saint Mary’s (Minn.) 7-3 in the opening round on Thursday, defeating Baldwin Wallace 15-3 in five innings, and defeating Saint Mary’s 16-8 Friday.

Bernhard and Heim had four RBIs each in the win over Baldwin Wallace as both had a home run, as did Timberman.

Riley Depa earned the win, allowing two runs on five hits over three innings with a strikeout.

Romero-Salas had five RBI and Heim added four more runs in the win over Saint Mary’s, each providing three hits, as did Macey Cox.

Romero-Salas picked up the win, allowing seven runs over six innings, four earned, giving up 11 hits with a walk and strikeout.