Softball Bumped From Nationals

MetroSportsReport.com

CLINTON, Miss. - The Kirkwood softball lost two tight games at the NJCAA Division II national championships Thursday and was eliminated from the tournament with a 1-2 record.

The Eagles squandered golden scoring opportunities in both contests and finished the season with a 49-13 record.

Kirkwood, seeded No. 5 in the 16-team tournament, lost to No. 4 seed Phoenix 4-2 in the winners bracket quarterfinals Thursday afternoon at Traceway Park in Mississippi. The Eagles left 11 runners on base against Phoenix and had runners at first, second and third in the bottom of the seventh when their final batter popped up to third.

Kirkwood left eight runners on base against Madison, the No. 11 seed, and had the bases loaded again in the seventh inning when their final batter popped up to the shortstop in a 5-4 setback.

DoniRae Mayhew (20-4) took the loss in Game 1 and Natalie Halvorson (25-9) absorbed the loss in Game 2.

Kenady Waugh hit a home run for Kirkwood in the first game. Mayhew hit a two-run homer and Monika Bevans had a solo shot for the Eagles in the second game.

The top four seeds have reached the winners bracket semifinals on Friday with No. 1 DMACC, No. 2 Jones County, No. 3 LSU-Eunice and No. 4 Phoenix still undefeated in the double-elimination tournament with 2-0 records.

Madison, Johnson County, Illinois Central and Cowley are alive in the losers bracket with 2-1 marks.

The tournament ends Saturday.