Staying alive: Mount Union softball teams wins two elimination games at NCAA Tournament
CLEVELAND — Mount Union's softball team is in uncharted territory.
The Purple Raiders swept two elimination games in the NCAA Division III Tournament and earned a berth in the regional championship for the first time on Friday. Mount Union beat Penn State-Altoona 7-2 and No. 3-ranked Case Western Reserve 3-2.
Mount Union will play Hiram on Saturday at Mather Park in Cleveland. The Terriers handed the Purple Raiders their only tournament loss on Thursday.
Grace Heath had two hits, two runs scored and two stolen bases in the win over Penn State-Altoona. Winning pitcher Chloe Bird struck out four over 3.1 innings.
The Purple Raiders rallied from a 2-0 deficit in their win over Case Western Reserve. Adri George hit a two-run homer in the fourth to tie the game. Alexis Temple drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth to score the go-ahead run.
Winning pitcher Kendyll Cahill threw a complete game. She allowed just one earned run, eight hits and struck out one.
The victory over Case Western Reserve helped Mount Union tie a single-season program record with 38 wins.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Mount Union softball advances to NCAA Tournament regional championship
