SALEM, Va. --- Kayla Womack made big plays with her arm and at the dish while Hanna Hull stifled the Tommies' offense to lead Virginia Wesleyan University to a 3-0 victory over the University of St. Thomas (Minn.) in game four of the NCAA Division III Softball Championship in Salem, Va., on Thursday.
The James I. Moyer Sports Complex will crown a Division III softball champion for the 13th time early next week with eight of the country's top programs vying for the trophy over the next six days. Teams will compete in double-elimination format thru Sunday for one of two spots in the best-of-three championship series on Monday, May 31, and Tuesday, June 1.
Virginia Wesleyan (42-5-1), with eyes on a third walnut & bronze prize after capturing back-to-back trophies in 2017 and 2018, started off on the right foot in its win over St. Thomas (32-9). The Tommies are also in search of a third championship with their previous two crowns coming in 2004 (in Salem) and 2005.
Hull was lights out in improving to 20-3 on the season, although her two hit shutout didn't come without a hurdle to clear. The Division III's all-time wins leader (129) had a line drive glance off her glove and strike her pitching hand (left) in the third inning. After taking several minutes to shake off the effects and return to the circle, Hull got a little help from her friends to get out of the frame unscathed. Brooke Betson pinch ran for Bridget Armstrong following her single off Hull. A sac bunt and ground out put Betson on third with two down. Coryn Jacobson earned a four-pitch free pass and then took off for second on the next at bat. Betson broke from third when VWU catcher Jess Goldyn fired a bullet to Womack covering at second. Womack quickly returned the throw home where Goldyn slapped on a tag without obstructing the runner before Betson could touch the dish.
Hull and UST righty Kierstin Anderson-Glass matched each other throughout much of the contest before the Marlins broke thru against the sixth-year hurler in the bottom of the sixth with a little two-out magic. After Danielle Stewart and Katelyn Biando were retired to start the inning, Karlee Fretz reached on the first of three Tommie errors in the frame. Julie Fassl followed with a double down the leftfield line to put runners on second an third. Womack ripped a sharp single back up the middle to bring around pinch runner Brooke Anderson and Fassl.
VWU tacked on more run with more that could have potentially scored. Womack stole second and moved to third when Arianna Rolle singled back to the pitcher, but Anderson-Glass thru the ball past the first baseman to allow Womack to score. Goldyn reached on an error by the third baseman and Madison Glaubke followed with an infield single to third, but a baserunning miscue forced a rundown between third and home with Rolle being tagged for the final out.
Hull closed out her 12th complete game of the season with a 1-2-3 seventh inning to move the Marlins into the winner's bracket. Hull allowed just four baserunners on two hits and a walk to go with one Marlin error. She fanned six batters to bring her career strikeout total to 1,334, fourth-best in Division III history. This also marked her 166th career appearance, the most in D-III history. Her 862.1 innings sit 10th in the record book.
Anderson-Glass took the loss to fall to 17-4. She gave up three unearned runs on nine hits without a walk and five strikeouts.
Rolle led VWU's offense with a 3-for-3 day.
Virginia Wesleyan squares off with Birmingham-Southern College (34-5) in the second of two winner's bracket games on Friday at 5:00 p.m. ET in an altered schedule due to a forecasted chance of inclement weather in Salem. St. Thomas plays in the second of two elimination games on Saturday against Rochester at 12:30 p.m. ET.