By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Battle Creek, MI---The No. 8-ranked Express softball team (39-3) captured the Region XII District G Championship with a 5-2 win over Kalamazoo Valley C.C. today.
The game began yesterday before being suspended due to weather. Kristen Roznoski (Cardinal Stritch/Toledo, Ohio) singled leading off the bottom half of the first inning and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Alaina Haubert (Gibsonburg/Gibsonburg, Ohio) to put Owens up 1-0.
In the third, Ashleigh Whitacre (Central Catholic/Toledo, Ohio) lined a two-out RBI single to score Bridget Wolfe (Bellevue/Bellevue, Ohio) and put Owens up 2-0.
Then, the Express saw their lead disappear as Kalamazoo Valley scored two in the top of the fifth. However, Wolfe and Michelle Hollister (Airport/Newport, Mich.) hit back-to-back home runs to put the Express up 4-2 in the half.
In the top of the sixth, KVCC put their leadoff batter on second following an error by Owens reliever Elizabeth Weber (Oak Harbor/Oak Harbor, Ohio). Following a groundout that moved the runner to third, play was suspended due to lightning and rain.
Action picked back up today as Jordan Ratliff (Summerfield/Petersburg, Mich.) re-entered. Ratliff got the first batter to ground out, and KVCC held the runner at third. Then, Ratliff got a fly out to Kelley Molloy (Whitmer/Toledo, Ohio) in left field to end the inning and keep the Express up 4-2.
In the bottom of the sixth, Allison Hausch (Bryan/Bryan, Ohio) lined a double to left center leading off. Morgan Gray (Clyde/Clyde, Ohio), who pinch ran for her, later scored on a wild pitch to put Owens up 5-2.
Ratliff then induced a ground out to short and a ground out to second before striking the final batter out looking to win the championship.
On Thursday, the Express defeated Jackson 3-1 to advance to the winner's bracket final. Then, they defeated Kalamazoo Valley in the winner's bracket final, 2-1 in eight innings, on Hausch's walk-off solo home run.
Kalamazoo Valley then advanced through the loser's bracket to take on Owens in the championship on Friday. In that matchup, KVCC defeated Owens 3-1 to force yesterday/today's second game.
Hausch and Haubert earned All-Region XII District G tournament team honors, while Ratliff was named the Region XII District G Tournament MVP.
Owens now advances to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II National Tournament in Normal, Ill. next week.