The NCAA News - News and Features

May 26, 1997

Home run heroics: Freshman's blast lifts Simpson to III title

A two-run home run by Simpson freshman Amber Ridnour in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the Storm to its first Division III Women's Softball Championship, 2-1, over Montclair State May 18 at Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

The blow ended a pitching duel between all-Americans Kelly Schade of Simpson and Montclair State's Sharon Ormsbee. Both tossed shutout ball through the game's first eight innings.

Montclair State broke the deadlock with two out in the top of the ninth. Tara Wisz reached on an error, then scored on a double from Rosalie Guzzi.

Chrissy Mathews opened the Storm's half of the ninth with a double. After Richelle Nelson replaced Mathews on the basepath, Ridnour delivered the game-winner, her third hit of the game.

Scahade, who pitched a pair of two-hit shutouts earlier in the tournament, lost her bid for a perfect game with two out in the sixth on an infield hit by Marlena Nawrot. She finished with another two-hitter, walking none and striking out seven.

The Storm, which finished the season with a 39-7 record, had 11 hits off Ormsbee. In addition to Ridnour's three hits, Kim Griffin, Jenny White and Michelle Fowler had two apiece. Ormsbee issued one walk and struck out eight. Montclair State finished its season with a 38-11 record.

Ridnour, Schade, Fowler and Julie Langbein of Simpson led the all-tournament team. Montclair State's representatives were Jennifer Citarella, Denise Warnock and Ormsbee. Other honorees were Anita DeFeo, Christi Anthony and Sunny Montas of College of New Jersey; Randi Carine, Kim Sears and Jessica Johnson of Wheaton (Massachusetts); and Donell Hotze of Central (Iowa).

Game No. 1

Wheaton (Mass.) -- 000 -- 000 -- 010 -- 01 -- 2 -- 9 -- 4

Central (Iowa) -- 000 -- 000 -- 010 -- 00 -- 1 -- 5 -- 2

Kim Sears and Dina Terceira; Kara Stanley, Katie Shelley (9) and Amy Sue Lester. HR -- Jessica Johnson (Wheaton), Kim Sears (Wheaton). W -- Sears. L -- Shelley.

Game No. 2

Calvin -- -- 000 -- 00 -- 0 -- 4 -- 3

Col. of New Jersey -- -- 410 -- 12 -- 8 -- 7 -- 2

Shauna Koolhaas and Sara Plasman; Jenny Boss and Sunny Montas. HR -- Anita DeFeo (Col. of New Jersey). W -- Boss. L -- Koolhaas.

Game No. 3

Wheaton (Mass.) -- 000 -- 010 -- 0 -- 1 -- 6 -- 1

Montclair St. -- 010 -- 212 -- x --6 -- 11 -- 0

Lisa Byrnes, Kim Sears (5) and Dina Terceira; Sharon Ormsbee and Jerrilyn Acevedo. W -- Ormsbee. L -- Byrnes.

Game No. 4

Col. of New Jersey -- 000 -- 000 -- 0 -- 0 -- 2 -- 0

Simpson -- 101 -- 000 -- x -- 2 -- 6 -- 2

Jenny Boss, Barbara Fralinger (5) and Sunny Montas; Kelly Schade and Michelle Fowler. HR -- Michelle Fowler (Simpson). W -- Schade. L -- Boss.

Game No. 5

Calvin -- 060 -- 000 -- 1 -- 7 -- 7 -- 2

Wheaton (Mass.) -- 520 -- 003 -- x --10 -- 10 -- 3

Shauna Koolhaas and Sara Plasman; Kim Sears and Dina Terceira. HR -- Jessica Johnson (Wheaton), Terceira (Wheaton). W -- Sears. L -- Koolhaas.

Game No. 6

Central (Iowa) -- 001 -- 000 -- 0 -- 1 -- 6 -- 1

Col. of New Jersey -- 001 -- 100 -- x -- 2 -- 7 -- 0

Katie Shelley and Rundi Nelson; Barbara Fralinger and Sunny Montas. HR -- Wendy Walton (Central). W -- Fralinger. L -- Shelley.

Game No. 7

Simpson -- 201 -- 012 -- 0 -- 6 -- 10 -- 0

Montclair St. -- 000 -- 000 -- 0 -- 0 -- 2 -- 2

Kelly Schade and Michelle Fowler; Sharon Ormsbee, Peggyann Coker (7) and Jerrilyn Acevedo. HR -- Fowler (Simpson), Deanne Wishmeier (Simpson). W -- Schade. L -- Ormsbee.

Game No. 8

Col. of New Jersey -- 000 -- 003 -- 0 -- 3 -- 9 -- 2

Wheaton (Mass.) -- 100 -- 001 -- 2 -- 4 -- 8 -- 1

Barbara Fralinger and Sunny Montas. Kim Sears and Dina Terceira. HR -- Sears (Wheaton). W -- Sears. L -- Fralinger.

Game No. 9

Montclair St. -- 000 -- 012 -- 0 -- 3 -- 12 -- 2

Wheaton (Mass.) -- 020 -- 000 -- 0 -- 2 -- 4 -- 0

Peggyann Coker, Sharon Ormsbee (5) and Jerrilyn Acevedo; Lisa Byrnes, Kim Sears (5) and Dina Terceira. W -- Ormsbee. L -- Sears.

Championship game

Montclair St. -- AB -- R -- H -- RBI -- PO -- A

Jennifer Citarella, cf -- 4 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 1 -- 1

Tara Wisz, 2b -- 4 -- 1 -- 0 -- 0 -- 2 -- 1

Rosalie Guzzi, ss -- 3 -- 0 -- 1 -- 1 -- 1 -- 3

Wendy Saladino, dh -- 4 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Jerrilyn Acevedo, c -- 3 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 9 -- 0

Jamie Lascik, 3b -- 3 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 1 -- 3

Cheryl Lopez, c -- 3 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 8 -- 0

Denise Warnock, rf -- 3 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Marlena Nawrot, lf -- 3 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0 -- 2 -- 0

Sharon Ormsbee, p -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 2

Totals -- 30 -- 1 -- 2 -- 1 -- 24 -- 10

Simpson -- AB -- R -- H -- RBI -- PO -- A

Kim Griffin, cf -- 4 -- 0 -- 2 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Jenny White, lf -- 4 -- 0 -- 2 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0

Michelle Fowler, c -- 3 -- 0 -- 2 -- 0 -- 7 -- 0

Kelly Behmer, pr -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Deanne Wischmeier, dh -- 4 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Julie Langbein, ss -- 4 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0 -- 2 -- 0

Nicole Feeney, pr -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Jody Bunn, rf -- 3 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 2 -- 0

Jaime Johnson, ph -- 1 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Kelly Ball, 1b -- 4 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 7 -- 0

Chrissy Mathews, 3b -- 3 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0 -- 2 -- 1

Mary Potts, pr -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Richelle Nelson, pr -- 0 -- 1 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Amber Ridnour, 2b -- 4 -- 1 -- 3 -- 2 -- 6 -- 4

Kelly Schade, p -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 4

Totals -- 34 -- 2 -- 11 -- 2 -- 27 -- 9

--

Montclair St. -- 000 -- 000 -- 001 -- 1 -- 2 -- 1

Simpson -- 000 -- 000 -- 002 -- 2 -- 11 -- 2

E -- Wisz, Ridnour 2. LOB -- Montclair St. 3, Simpson 10. 2B -- Guzzi, Mathews. HR -- Ridnour. SH -- Guzzi.

-- IP -- H -- R -- ER -- BB -- SO

Ormsbee (Loser) -- 8.0 -- 11 -- 2 -- 2 -- 1 -- 8

Schade (Winner) -- 9.0 -- 2 -- 1 -- 0 -- 0 -- 7

WP -- Ormsbee. HBP -- Fowler (by Ormsbee). U -- Sefchik, Johnson, Ellenz. T -- 2:03. A -- 475.