Golden Bears bounce back from elimination scare to punch ticket to NCAA Super Regionals
By Tommy Scuderi
On Thursday, May 8 to Sunday, May 11, KU softball was the host site for a NCAA Division II regional pod. They hosted three other teams, the Bloomsburg Huskies, Shepherd Rams, and the Charleston Golden Eagles in the double elimination tournament that ran from Thursday to Sunday.
Photo Credit: Sports Information Department
After a strong start, the Golden Bears hit a setback Saturday morning, falling 8-6 to Bloomsburg in the first game of the day. The loss put KU on the brink of elimination, needing to win out to keep their postseason hopes alive.
KU took care of step one in the comeback effort later in the day against Charleston, the team that sent them home in Super Regionals last year. They defeated the Golden Eagles 3-1 to punch their tickets to championship Sunday against the Huskies.
Bloomsburg held the advantage going into Sunday, having not lost a game in the region yet. This meant they only needed to win one game to head to their first super regional since 2014.
It was not to be for the Huskies in game one however, as the KU offense came alive against standout Bloomsburg pitcher Sarah Yamrick, handing her a rare defeat and winning the first game of the day 6-0 to set up a winner-take-all showdown in game two.
Game two was a stark defensive battle, a pitcher’s duel. Thanks to two home run robberies by left fielder Emily Henn, as well as terrific pitching from ace Haley Gravish, the game was scoreless after seven innings, bringing up extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, KU head coach Judy Lawes made a gutsy call, sending in freshman Caitlyn Ashley for just her second collegiate plate appearance. The result was storybook: Ashley connected on a pitch down the middle and sent it over the left field wall for a solo homerun, that not only stood as the game winner, but her first collegiate hit
With their backs against the wall, KU rattled off three straight wins against top regional competition to secure home field advantage in the Super Regionals for the second year in a row. And even better for the Golden Bears, they’ll be hosting.
KU will face the Shippensburg Raiders in a best-of-three series beginning Thursday, May 15 at 1 p.m. Game two is Friday at 1 p.m., with a potential game three scheduled for 3:30 p.m. the same day, all at North Campus Field. The winner will earn a spot in the NCAA Division II College World Series in Chattanooga, Tennessee.