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Truman State University Athletics

SBTeam1_NCAA15
Photo Submitted
4
Truman TSU 33-15
5
Winner Ashland AU 39-8
Truman TSU
33-15
4
Final
5
Ashland AU
39-8
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Truman TSU 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 4 12 2
Ashland AU 0 0 0 2 3 0 X 5 9 2

W: Amber McDermott (14-2) L: Dorsey, Kelsea (17-6)

Game Recap: Softball | | Tyler Madsen, Athletics Communications

Softball Falls into Consolation Bracket at NCAA Regionals

INDIANAPOLIS - - Back-to-back strong innings by third-seeded Ashland propelled the Eagles past the Truman softball team in its 2015 NCAA tournament opener, as the Bulldogs fell 5-4 to AU on Friday afternoon on the campus of the University of Indianapolis.
 
The Bulldogs, now 33-15 on the season, will have to claw their way back through the "loser's" bracket, beginning at 11:30 a.m. (CT) on Saturday against Trevecca Nazerene (Tenn.). The Trojans, the No. 7 seed in this weekend's Midwest regional, lost 3-1 in eight innings to No. 2 seed Indianapolis to open play on Friday.
 
Truman used some two-out magic in each of the first two innings to build a 2-0 lead, as a bases-loaded walk drawn by junior Whitney Richardson plated the game's first run, before freshman Jamie Fowle came home two batters after her two-out single in the second to push Truman's lead to two runs. Sophomore Lex Van Nostrand was credited with an RBI on her single to right field that scored Fowle.
 
The Bulldogs left runners on second and third, and then first and second, in the third and fourth innings, before Ashland mounted its comeback. A two-run home run in the fourth evened the score, and then a solo home run and two unearned runs gave the Eagles a 5-2 lead through five.
 
Three straight hits by Fowle, senior Andrea Klipsch, and Van Nostrand cut the deficit to 5-3 in the top of the sixth, before senior Ally McReynolds singled home Klipsch for run No. 4. After McReynolds swiped second, Truman again left runners in scoring position, as a strikeout and a lineout ended the inning.
 
In the seventh, pinch-hitting freshman Alyssa Spoerer drew a walk and was pinch-ran for by sophomore Valerie Schmidt, but a strikeout, a foul popout, and a groundout sealed the Bulldogs' opening round fate and sent Truman into the bottom bracket.
 
Eleven of Truman's 12 hits on the day came from the top five slots in the batting order, as Fowle, Klipsch, Van Nostrand, senior Liz Leath, and McReynolds combined to go 11-for-19 with a double, four runs, and three RBI. Junior Kelsea Dorsey started and took her sixth loss (17-6) of the year, as she allowed three earned runs and seven hits in 4.2 innings of work. Junior Kindra Henze pitched 1.1 innings of relief, giving up two hits and a walk to an otherwise clean slate.
 
Jen Moore went 3-for-3 with a double, while leadoff batter Taylor Menhart went 2-for-4 with a home run and a triple to lead the AU attack. Amber McDermott earned her 14th win of the season, pitching 4.2 innings of relief.
 
This marks the second straight season that Truman will have to claw its way out of the bottom bracket in the NCAA Midwest regional, as the Bulldogs lost their opening round tilt to Ohio Dominican a season ago. The Bulldogs won both games on Saturday, however, to advance to the sub-regional championship on Sunday.
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