The NCAA News - News and Features

May 25, 1998

Pointers pitching pivotal in III softball win

Wisconsin-Stevens Point won its first Division III Softball Championship with a 3-1 victory over Chapman May 18 in Salem, Virginia.

The Pointers ended their season with a 43-15 record, while Chapman, which finished second in the championship for the second time in three years, completed a 39-9 campaign.

Wisconsin-Stevens Point took the lead early in the championship game with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Third baseman Jill Kristof delivered a two-run homer, her second of the championship.

Chapman scored its run in the third inning as Dawn Lopez drove in Amie Barnes. Chapman then mounted a two-on, no-out opportunity in the fifth inning after a Jenni Bankus single and a double by Stephanie Carew, but Pointers pitcher Kelly Blaha popped out the next two batters. A walk to Chapman's Lacee Rashi loaded the bases, but Blaha coaxed a fly out to end the inning.

"We definitely out-hit them today," Chapman coach Janet Lloyd said. "But we left 10 runners on base, and when you do that there is no way any team is going to win. We basically beat ourselves today."

Wisconsin-Stevens Point sealed the victory with an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth.

"This really hasn't had a chance to sink in," said Pointers head coach Dean Shuda. "One minute I can't believe that we've won the national championship and the next, I'm totally emotional."

Shuda had not anticipated a national championship crown before the season began.

"Not in my wildest dreams," he said. "I may have talked about it. In fact, I talked to Henry Christowski (Simpson College head coach), and he said, 'You might talk about it, but you've got to believe it's possible.' I didn't believe it, but I do now. That makes it that much more special."

Blaha, an all-tournament selection, posted her 20th win of the season, allowing eight hits and one unearned run in seven innings. She also struck out four batters.

"It was a gusty performance," Shuda said of his ace. "She knew the batters we needed to focus on. Fortunately, they (Chapman) hit the ball within our reach, and we kept their scoring down."

Joining Blaha on the all-tournament team were teammates Kristof, Charity Czappa, Kelly Rutta, and Michelle Gerber. All-tournament team representatives from Chapman were Bankus and Jessamine Maiben. Other honorees were Amber Ridnour, Dee Wischmeier and Kelly Schade of Simpson; Jessica Regan and Jen Wenger of Messiah; Stephanie Bennett of Salisbury State; and Heather Shingary of Muskingum.

Game No. 1

Muskingum -- 203 -- 000 -- 0--5 -- 4 -- 1

Simpson -- 000 -- 020 -- 0--2 -- 5 -- 1

Jen Segner and Kayla Shomaker; Kelly Schade and Michelle Fowler. HR--Heather Shingary 2 (Muskingum). W--Segner. L--Schade.

Game No. 2

Cortland St. -- 000 -- 00 -- --0 -- 4 -- 1

Chapman -- 022 -- 22 -- --8 -- 9 -- 0

Leslie Lance, Kristen Machan (5) and Tara Schanbacher; Catie Lacy and Jenni Bankus. HR--Amie Barnes (Chapman). W--Lacy. L--Lance.

Game No. 3

Messiah -- 000 -- 000 -- 0--0 -- 5 -- 1

Wis.-Stevens Point -- 000 -- 010 -- x--1 -- 5 -- 0

Jessica Regan and Lindsay Nelson; Kelly Blaha and Michelle Gerber. W--Blaha. L--Regan.

Game No. 4

Bri'water (Mass.) -- 000 -- 100 -- 0--1 -- 6 -- 1

Salisbury St. -- 130 -- 100 -- x--5 -- 8 -- 1

Tammy Webber and Amy Sasin; Kelly Bradford and Vicki Hardisty. W--Bradford. L--Webber.

Game No. 5

Simpson -- 000 -- 102 -- 2--5 -- 10 -- 2

Cortland St. -- 003 -- 001 -- 0--4 -- 8 -- 3

Kelly Schade and Michelle Fowler; Leslie Lance and Tara Schanbacher. HR--Michelle Fowler (Simpson), Vanessa Armano (Cortland St.). W--Schade. L--Lance.

Game No. 6

Messiah -- 020 -- 000 -- 1--3 -- 8 -- 2

Bri'water (Mass.) -- 000 -- 000 -- 0--0 -- 4 -- 3

Jessica Regan and Stepha Braccioforte; Tammy Webber and Amy Sasin. W--Regan. L--Webber.

Game No. 7

Chapman -- 005 -- 102 -- 0--8 -- 11 -- 1

Muskingum -- 001 -- 000 -- 0--1 -- 2 -- 2

Catie Lacy, Linsey Buendia (4) and Jenni Bankus; Jen Segner, Melissa Kavy (6), Dani Keiffer (7) and Kayla Shomaker, Jenny Weingartz. HR--Stephanie Carew (Chapman). W--Buendia. L--Segner.

Game No. 8

Salisbury St. -- 100 -- 000 -- -- 1 -- 5 -- 4

Wis.-Stevens Point -- 010 -- 072 -- --10 -- 11 -- 0

Kelly Bradford, Jade Widgeon (5), Erin Willey (6) and Vicki Hardisty; Jamie Lowney, Rebecca Prochaska (6) and Michelle Gerber. HR--Charity Czappa (Wis.-Stevens Point), Sarah Berg 2 (Wis.-Stevens Point). W--Lowney. L--Bradford.

Game No. 9

Muskingum -- 000 -- 000 -- 02--2 -- 7 -- 0

Messiah -- 000 -- 000 -- 01--1 -- 6 -- 2

Jen Segner and Kayla Shomaker; Jessica Regan and Lindsay Nelson. W--Segner. L--Regan.

Game No. 10

Simpson -- 002 -- 110 -- 1--5 -- 12 -- 0

Salisbury St. -- 000 -- 000 -- 0--0 -- 6 -- 2

Kelly Schade and Michelle Fowler; Kelly Bradford and Vicki Hardisty. W--Schade. L--Bradford.

Game No. 11

Wis.-Stevens Point -- 025 -- 000 -- 3--10 -- 8 -- 1

Chapman -- 000 -- 000 -- 0--0 -- 2 -- 2

Kelly Blaha and Michelle Gerber; Catie Lacy, Linsey Buendia (3) and Jenni Bankus. HR--Michelle Gerber (Wis.-Stevens Point). W--Blaha. L--Lacy.

Game No. 12

Simpson -- 300 -- 100 -- 0--4 -- 7 -- 0

Muskingum -- 000 -- 000 -- 0--0 -- 1 -- 4

Kelly Schade and Michelle Fowler; Jen Segner and Kayla Shomaker. HR--Dee Wischmeier (Simpson). W--Schade. L--Segner.

Game No. 13

Chapman -- 000 -- 200 -- 0--2 -- 7 -- 1

Simpson -- 000 -- 000 -- 1--1 -- 5 -- 4

Jessamine Maiben and Jenni Bankus; Kelly Schade and Michelle Fowler. W--Maiben. L--Schade.

Game No. 14

Wis.-Stevens Point -- 010 -- 010 -- 1--3 -- 8 -- 3

Chapman -- 120 -- 030 -- x--6 -- 7 -- 2

Jamie Lowney, Rebecca Prochaska (5) and Michelle Gerber; Catie Lacy, Jessamine Maiben (5) and Jenni Bankus. HR--Jill Kristof (Wis.-Stevens Point), Stephanie Carew (Chapman), Lacee Rashi (Chapman). W--Lacy. L--Lowney. S--Maiben.

Championship game

Chapman -- AB -- R -- H -- RBI -- BB -- SO -- PO -- A

Amie Barnes, 2b -- 4 -- 1 -- 1 -- 0 -- 0 -- 1 -- 3 -- 3

Jenni Bankus, c -- 3 -- 0 -- 2 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0 -- 2 -- 1

Stephanie Carew, 1b -- 4 -- 0 -- 2 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 5 -- 0

Jessamine Maiben, p -- 4 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0 -- 0 -- 1 -- 1 -- 1

Dawn Lopez, rf -- 4 -- 0 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0 -- 0

Lacee Rashi, 3b -- 3 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0 -- 2 -- 0

Katie Chauvin, cf -- 2 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 --

Laurel Bailey, dh -- 3 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0 -- 0

Cindy Bemis, ss -- 2 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0 -- 3 -- 1

Shannon Carlson, lf -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 2 -- 0

Totals -- 29 -- 1 -- 8 -- 1 -- 3 -- 4 -- 18 -- 6

Wis.-Stevens Point -- AB -- R -- H -- RBI -- BB -- SO -- PO -- A

Dena Zajdel, dh -- 3 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Kelly Rutta, 2b -- 3 -- 2 -- 2 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 2 -- 2

Jill Kristof, 3b -- 2 -- 1 -- 1 -- 2 -- 0 -- 1 -- 1 -- 1

Cari Briley, rf -- 3 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 3 -- 0

Charity Czappa, 1b -- 3 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 6 -- 0

Sarah Berg, cf -- 3 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 4 -- 0

Michelle Gerber, c -- 2 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 4 -- 0

Kari Rowekamp, lf -- 2 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 1 -- 1 -- 0

Holly Kruit, ss -- 2 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 1

Kelly Blaha, p -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 1

Totals -- 23 -- 3 -- 6 -- 2 -- 0 -- 2 -- 21 -- 5

Chapman -- 001 -- 000 -- 0--1 -- 8 -- 2

Wis.-Stevens Point -- 200 -- 001 -- x--3 -- 6 -- 2

-- E--Bemis, Carlson, Rutta, Kristof. LOB--Chapman 11, Wis.-Stevens Point 3. DP--Chapman 1. 2B--Carew, Maiben, Zajdel. HR--Kristof. SH--Chauvin, Kristof.

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

Maiben (Loser) -- -- 6.0 -- 6 -- 3 -- 2 -- 0 -- 2 --

Blaha (Winner) -- -- 7.0 -- 8 -- 1 -- 0 -- 3 -- 4

-- WP--Blaha. U--D'Amato, Massaro, Gulas. T--1:20. A--628.