COLUMBUS, Ga. – California (Pa.), Missouri Western and UAH are the remaining undefeated teams at the 2023 NFCA Division II Leadoff at the South Commons Softball Complex after day two on Saturday.
In a contest between a pair of 2-0 teams, Cal edged Georgia Southwestern, 6-5 before exploding late to earn a 11-3 five-inning win over Shaw. Down to its final out, Missouri Western hit a game-tying two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extras. In the eighth, a two-out walk-off single completed the comeback in a 6-5 win. Prior to the late heroics, MWSU earned a 9-1 five-inning win over Shaw.
The 17th-ranked Blazers opened with an 11-2 five-inning win over Northern State and followed it up with a walk-off 1-0 win over Carson-Newman. Not only was it a walk-off, it was a no-hitter for UAH’s Katie Bracken. She fanned nine and walked three in her second straight shutout of the tournament.
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Ohio Dominican, Georgian Court and Embry-Riddle went 2-0 on the day and improved to 3-1. The Panthers posted two one-run victories over Bridgeport (4-3) and Gannon (2-1), while the Lions edged West Chester, 1-0, and thumped Le Moyne, 12-4 in five innings. The Eagles posted a pair of shutouts to close out the tournament, blanking Carson-Newman 1-0 and No. 18 Lincoln Memorial 2-0. The second win gave ERAU head coach Kelsi Dunne Diaz her 200thcareer victory.
Joining ODU and GCU with 3-1 marks are Georgia Southwestern and Wingate, who split on day two with wins over Gannon and Columbus State, respectively.
Also earning a victory on Saturday were Hillsdale, No. 25 Wilmington, Columbus State, West Chester, Le Moyne and Charleston.
Play opens at 9 a.m. Sunday on the final day of the Classic.
Celebrating 40 years in 2023, the NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its highly-regarded Leadoff Classics, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from podcasts to awards, to in-person events and the National Convention.
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