May 12, 2019
Geneseo Softball sweeps No. 12 Thomas More to advance to NCAA Super-Regional
Geneseo Sports Information Department
CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. - The SUNY Geneseo softball team earned a pair of victories over host Thomas More, defeating the No. 12 Saints, 3-0, in game one and 5-4 in game two to win the NCAA Regional and advance to the NCAA Division III Softball Super-Regionals for the first time in program history.
GAME ONE - Geneseo 3, Thomas More 0
- Junior pitcher Ashlyn Kersch led off the first inning with a single and came around to score on a pair of Thomas More errors to give the Knights a 1-0 lead.
- In the fifth inning, junior infielder Brooke Wolff smacked her first career home run, a solo shot over the left field fence, to give the Knights a 2-0 advantage.
- Geneseo added an insurance run in the seventh inning when senior catcher Taylor Fedor led off with a single and scored later in the inning as Wolff drove her in with a groundout, extending the lead to 3-0.
- Kersch completed the three-hit shutout, striking out two and allowing just one walk.
GAME TWO - Geneseo 5, Thomas More 4
- The Saints scored first, plating one in the first inning but the Knights responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame. Kersch led off with a walk and came around to score on an error. Junior outfielder Hannah Elmer homered over the right field fence to give the Knights a 3-1 lead.
- In the third inning, senior outfielder Danni Napoli led off with a single and moved to second on an error. Two batters later, senior outfielder Alyssa Persich singled home a run and Fedor added an RBI single to put Geneseo ahead, 5-1.
- Thomas More came within one run with a pair of home runs, cutting the deficit to 5-4, but senior pitchers Jasmine Petrishin and Taylor Moore combined to pitch the final 1.2 innings as Petrishin earned the hold, closing out the sixth inning and Moore garnered her first save of the season, stranding the go-ahead run on first base in the seventh as she recorded the final out.
QUICK FACTS
- Geneseo advances to the NCAA Super Regional for the first time in program history and will face Trine (Ind.) in a best 2-out-of-3 series for a spot in the College Softball World Series, beginning on Friday, May 17.
- Elmer, Napoli and Persich were named to the NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team while Kersch was named the Regional MVP.
- Wolff finished 3-for-4 from the plate in the two games combined with two RBI and a run scored.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Knights will face Trine in the Super Regional on Friday, May 17 at a time and site to be determined.
