By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Battle Creek, MI---Katilyn Turski pitched all 19 innings today and picked up three wins to propel the No. 17 Express past Muskegon Community College, Lansing Community College and No. 16 Grand Rapids Community College.
With the wins, the Express (24-16) now advance to the championship against Kalamazoo Valley Community College at 10 a.m. tomorrow. They need to win twice to capture the title.
Game 1: Owens 7 Muskegon 2
A six-run, fifth inning outburst catapulted the Express to a 7-2 win over Muskegon Community College in the loser's bracket quarterfinals.
The win means the Express finished 4-1 against Muskegon, the defending Region XII champion, this year.
Tyniesha Wilson, Emily Rockman and Molly Gast paced the Express offense. Wilson finished 4-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, while Gast was 3-for-4 with an RBI and Rockman was 2-for-4 with a HR and two RBIs.
Gast's RBI single in the third gave the Express a 1-0 lead, while Muskegon's Taylor Sanicki answered back with a solo home run in the next half inning to tie it up.
Then, in the fifth, the Express got a leadoff single from Wilson, a two-run homer to center from Rockman, an RBI single from Melanie Iacoangeli and an RBI single from Wilson, who went 2-for-2 in the inning.
Muskegon scored their second run in the sixth to cut their deficit to five, but Turski picked up one of her seven strikeouts in the game to strand the bases loaded. It was the last threat Muskegon had.
Turski picked up her 18th win of the season as she allowed seven hits, two runs and two walks with her seven strikeouts over seven.
The Express out-hit Muskegon 13-7, and three of Muskegon's hits came in the sixth inning. At one point, Wilson's four hits matched Muskegon's output for the game up to that point.
Game 2: Owens 8 Lansing 0 (Five Innings)
The Express got a first inning grand slam from Katie Butler, while Turski allowed only two hits en route to a five inning, 8-0 victory over Lansing Community College in today's loser's bracket semifinal.
Iacoangeli walked, Wilson reached on an error and Rockman got an infield single in the first to load the bases for Butler's one-out grand slam in the first.
In the second, Iacoangeli had an RBI groundout to make it 5-0. Taylor Miller had singled to lead off the inning and get the rally started.
Wilson added an RBI single up the middle, while Rockman hit another home run, this one a two-run shot to right field, in the sixth to make it 8-0.
Turski then got Lansing to pop out three times in the top of the fifth to end the game.
Butler finished 1-for-2 with her grand slam. Her one out was almost her second home run to left field.
Rockman was the only Express player to get two or more hits as she finished 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs, while Wilson was 1-for-3 with two runs and an RBI.
Iacoangeli also contributed as she finished 1-for-2 with two runs, an RBI and a stolen base.
Game 3: Owens 1 Grand Rapids Community College 0
Turski twirled another gem, including an amazing seventh inning escape, to help the Express capture a thrilling 1-0 victory in the loser's bracket final.
Rockman's first inning sacrifice fly proved to be the difference in the game, and the run almost didn't happen. After Iacoangeli walked to leadoff the inning, she advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt.
Following a single from Wilson that put runners on first and third, Rockman hit a fly to left. The throw was cut off and Wilson was nearly tagged out before Iacoangeli could score, but she forced a rundown long enough to allow her to score.
After the Express stranded runners on second and third in the bottom of the sixth, GRCC got back-to-back infield singles leading off the seventh. After a wild pitch put two runners in scoring position with nobody out, Turski, somehow, managed to get three consecutive infield pop outs to end the game.
Earlier, GRCC stranded runners at second and third in the third, and Butler threw a GRCC runner out at home in the fourth.
Wilson was at it again offensively as the freshman outfielder turned second baseman finished 3-for-3, while Jaylee Glad, who was stranded on second twice to end innings, finished 2-for-2. Rockman was 1-for-2 with an RBI.
Turski (20-9) allowed four hits and one walk while striking out four. With her wins today, she picked up her 18th, 19th and 20th wins of the season.
Kayla Goodwin (8-9) took the loss for GRCC. She allowed six hits, one run and two walks while striking out six over six innings.
Notes
The Express have advanced one step further than last season. After losing their first game in last year's Region XII tournament, they won their first two games before losing in the loser's bracket final to Kalamazoo Valley Community College. They will look for revenge tomorrow.
Turski allowed only two runs over 19 innings today after allowing 11 runs in seven innings yesterday.
Wilson finished 8-for-10 today with four runs and two RBIs. She has raised her average to fourth-best on the team at .397.
Rockman has nearly re-taken the team's RBI lead from Olivia Reeder. The freshman didn't only push her hitting streak to 15 straight, she added two home runs and five RBIs today - pushing her season total to 35, just one short of Reeder's 36. She has at least one hit in all but seven games this year.
Despite Butler's grand slam today, Rockman took over the team lead with her fourth and fifth homers of the season.
Iacoangeli picked up her 50th steal of the season and now has back-to-back seasons of 50 or more steals. She stole 66 as a freshman.