WAUKESHA, Wis. – A late offensive surge wasn't quite enough to keep the Mount Mary University softball team's season alive as the #6-seeded Blue Angels fell to #4 seed Southern Virginia University, 8-3, Friday afternoon at Infinity Fields.
Mount Mary ends its 2021 campaign with a season record of 6-26 overall.
MMU fell behind early as the Knights got to freshman ace Brianna Lupa (Plano, Ill./Plano), recording seven runs off six hits and five free passes across the first two innings alone. Lupa would eventually settle in, recording a game-high eight strikeouts, but took the losing decision in the circle.
Junior Aislinn Strusz (Aurora, Ill./West Aurora) earned a leadoff pass via hit-by-pitch in the top of the third inning, and freshman Marissa Heraly (Brillion, Wis./Brillion) followed suit with a single up the middle. Sophomore Brianna Ecker (Fond du Lac, Wis./Stockbridge) advanced Strusz to third with a fielder's choice, and she would score on a single up the middle by freshman Sam Allen (Rolling Meadows, Ill./Rolling Meadows). Allen stole second to put Blue Angels on second and third, and a bad throw by the SVU third baseman on a spinning dribbler off the bat of Lupa would score Ecker. Junior Taylor Hienbuecher (Sycamore, Ill./Sycamore) would pick up an RBI fielder's choice, pulling to within four, 7-3.
Strusz would add a single in the fourth, and the Blue Angels threatened in the fifth with hits by Ecker and Hienbuecher, but the tournament hosts couldn't quite find the string of offense needed to overcome the early deficit.
Mount Mary and #5-seeded Finlandia University finished the 2021 C2C Softball Championship with a record of 0-2. University of Mary Washington, the tournament's #3 seed which beat Finlandia 9-0 in the other Consolation Quarterfinal, knocked off Southern Virginia in the Consolation Semifinal as the Knights finished their tournament run with a 2-2 record. UMW will face #2 seed Christopher Newport University in Saturday's Consolation Final, as the Captains fell to top-seeded Salisbury University, 5-4, in walk-off fashion Friday evening.
The C2C Championship Final will be played at 12:30 pm Saturday, with an if-necessary game immediately following.
C2C CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Thursday, May 6
First Round – 5 pm
#3 Mary Washington def. #6 Mount Mary, 4-1
#4 Southern Virginia def. #5 Finlandia, 8-0 (5)
Quarterfinals – 7 pm
#2 Christopher Newport def. #3 Mary Washington, 14-2 (5)
#1 Salisbury def. Southern Virginia, 9-1 (5)
Friday, May 7
Consolation Bracket – Noon
#4 Southern Virginia def. #6 Mount Mary, 8-3
#3 Mary Washington def. #5 Finlandia, 9-0 (5)
Semifinal – 2:30 pm
#1 Salisbury def. #2 Christopher Newport, 5-4
Consolation Bracket – 2:30 pm
#3 Mary Washington def. #4 Southern Virginia, 8-1
Saturday, May 8
Consolation Bracket – 10 am
#2 Christopher Newport v. #3 Mary Washington
Championship Series – 12:30 pm & 3 pm (if necessary)
#1 Salisbury v. Consolation Bracket Winner
