The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- June 7, 1999

Humboldt State humbles softball field

Humboldt State chalked up a perfect postseason en route to the school's first Division II Women's Softball Championship May 23 at James I. Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Virginia.

The Lumberjacks claimed the title with a 7-2 victory over Nebraska-Kearney in the championship game.

"Honestly, I didn't think any team would come in with the caliber of talent that was here and go undefeated on the way to winning the national title," said Frank Cheek, Humboldt State head coach.

The Lumberjacks' perfect postseason included three wins in the West Regional and a 5-0 record during the four-day championship. Humboldt State finished the season 55-7-1 and was led by pitcher Jessame Kendall, who recorded wins in four of the team's five victories during the championship series.

Kendall and Humboldt State opened the championship game against Nebraska-Kearney, a team they had beaten the day before, with a run in the first inning. The Lopers answered, though, with a two-run home run by Holly Waller.

The Lumberjacks regained the lead in the second inning when catcher Megan Keesling hit her seventh home run of the season with two runners aboard.

By the end of the third inning, Humboldt State had a commanding 7-2 lead. The seven-run total is the most by any team in the title game since 1993.

Nebraska-Kearney finished the season with a 39-4 record after advancing from the South Central Regional.

Two-time defending champion California (Pennsylvania) was eliminated during the third day of competition after losses to Alabama-Huntsville and Nebraska-Kearney.

Humboldt State placed Kendall, Keesling, Shelli Maher, Terry Marroquin and Jamie Peterson on the all-tournament team, while Nebraska-Kearney was represented by Waller, Terrisa Eckmann and Amanda Kelly.

Kennesaw State, which was 2-2 in championship play, placed Kathy Le and Audra Thomas on the all-tournament team. Megan Cooper of North Dakota State and Stephanie Berry and Tracy Porter of Alabama-Huntsville also were honored.

Game No. 1

Calif. (Pa.) -- 000 -- 000 -- 0 -- 0 -- 1 -- 1

Neb.-Kearney -- 020 -- 020 -- x -- 4 -- 8 -- 1

Melissa Brooks, Traci Watts (2), Rose Walsh (4) and Stephanie Bromhead, Erin Whoolery; Amanda Kelly and Becky Sintek. W -- Kelly. L -- Brooks.

Game No. 2

Kennesaw St. -- -- 601 -- 05 -- 12 -- 12 -- 0

Merrimack -- -- 100 -- 00 -- 1 -- 6 -- 4

Christina Caldwell and Audra Thomas; Jennifer Connolly and Michele DeVito. W -- Caldwell. L -- Connolly.

Game No. 3

Humboldt St. -- 000 -- 000 -- 2 -- 2 -- 6 -- 0

Ferris St. -- 000 -- 010 -- 0 -- 1 -- 6 -- 3

Jessame Kendall and Megan Keesling; Nadine Crowl and Anne Koltvedt. W -- Kendall. L -- Crowl.

Game No. 4

North Dakota St. -- 000 -- 100 -- 10 -- 2 -- 6 -- 1

Ala.-Huntsville -- 000 -- 200 -- 01 -- 3 -- 6 -- 1

Julie Fromm and Shelly Rhein; Wendy Hurst and Misty Gray. W -- Hurst. L -- Fromm.

Game No. 5

Calif. (Pa.) -- 000 -- 025 -- 0 -- 7 -- 9 -- 0

Merrimack -- 000 -- 000 -- 0 -- 0 -- 2 -- 0

Traci Watts and Stephanie Bromhead; Jennifer Connolly and Michele DeVito. W -- Watts. L -- Connolly.

Game No. 6

Ferris St. -- 000 -- 003 -- 0 -- 3 -- 9 -- 2

North Dakota St. -- 010 -- 210 -- x -- 4 -- 10 -- 0

Brandy Coe, Nadine Crowl (5); Julie Fromm and Shelly Rhein. W -- Fromm. L -- Coe.

Game No. 7

Neb.-Kearney -- 000 -- 300 -- 01 --4 -- 9 -- 2

Kennesaw St. -- 101 -- 000 -- 10 -- 3 -- 9 -- 1

Amanda Kelly, Tina McCaslin (7) and Becky Sintek; Christina Caldwell, Lacey Gardner (4) and Audra Thomas. W -- McCaslin. L -- Gardner.

Game No. 8

Ala.-Huntsville -- 001 -- 001 -- 0 -- 2 -- 10 -- 0

Humboldt St. -- 200 -- 020 -- x -- 4 -- 7 -- 1

Wendy Hurst, Lane Davis (2) and Misty Gray; Jessame Kendall and Megan Keesling. W -- Kendall. L -- Davis.

Game No. 9

Kennesaw St. -- 100 -- 020 -- 0 -- 3 -- 8 -- 0

North Dakota St. -- 000 -- 000 -- 0 -- 0 -- 3 -- 0

Lacey Gardner and Audra Thomas; Julie Fromm and Shelly Rhein. W -- Gardner. L -- Fromm.

Game No. 10

Ala.-Huntsville -- 001 -- 020 -- 5 -- 8 -- 11 -- 1

Calif. (Pa.) -- 002 -- 000 -- 0 -- 2 -- 5 -- 0

Wendy Hurst and Misty Gray; Traci Watts, Rose Walsh (7) and Stephanie Bromhead. W -- Hurst. L -- Watts.

Game No. 11

Neb.-Kearney -- 100 -- 000 -- 0 -- 1 -- 7 -- 0

Humboldt St. -- 201 -- 000 -- x -- 3 -- 7 -- 0

Tina McCaslin, Amanda Kelly (2) and Becky Sintek; B.J. Helfrich and Megan Keeling. W -- Helfrich. L -- McCaslin.

Game No. 12

Ala.-Huntsville -- 000 -- 000 -- 0 -- 0 -- 6 -- 3

Neb.-Kearney -- 000 -- 204 -- x -- 6 -- 5 -- 0

Wendy Hurst, Lane Davis (6) and Misty Gray; Amanda Kelly and Becky Sintek; W -- Kelly. L -- Hurst.

Game No. 13

Kennesaw St. -- 001 -- 000 -- 0 -- 1 -- 7 -- 1

Humboldt St. -- 000 -- 002 -- x -- 2 -- 6 -- 2

Lacey Gardner and Audra Thomas; Jessame Kendall and Megan Keesling. W -- Kendall. L -- Gardner.

Championship Game

Humboldt St. -- AB -- R -- H -- RBI -- BB -- SO -- PO -- A

Jamie Peterson, cf -- 3 -- 2 -- 3 -- 1 -- 1 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0

Megan Keesling, c -- 3 -- 1 -- 1 -- 3 -- 0 -- 1 -- 7 -- 0

Terry Marroquin, ss -- 4 -- 0 -- 1 -- 1 -- 0 -- 0 -- 2 -- 2

April Sall, pr -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 --

Taiisha Pleasant, lf -- 2 -- 1 -- 1 -- 0 -- 2 -- 1 -- 3 -- 0

April Tursky, 1b -- 4 -- 1 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 1 -- 5 -- 0

Shelli Maher, 3b -- 3 -- 0 -- 1 -- 1 -- 0 -- 0 -- 1 -- 1

Estee Holland, pr -- 0 -- 1 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Sarah Delsman, dh -- 2 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Erin Raethke, ph -- 1 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

B.J. Helfrich, p -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Jessame Kendall, p -- 4 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0 -- 0 -- 1 -- 1 -- 1 --

Kathryn Hutchings, rf -- 2 -- 1 -- 0 -- 1 -- 1 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0

Sarah Davis, ph -- 1 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Sarah Jones, 2b -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 1

Totals -- 29 -- 7 -- 8 -- 7 -- 5 -- 4 -- 21 -- 5

Neb.-Kearney -- AB -- R -- H -- RBI -- BB -- SO -- PO -- A

Darcie Berry, 3b -- 2 -- 1 -- 1 -- 0 -- 2 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Karla Simmons, cf -- 3 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 2 -- 1 -- 0

Laura Espenmiller, 2b -- 3 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 1 -- 5 -- 2

Holly Waller, 1b -- 3 -- 1 -- 1 -- 2 -- 0 -- 0 -- 7 -- 1

Chris Rollman, ss -- 3 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0 -- 0 -- 2 -- 1 -- 4

Kelly Moats, rf -- 2 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0

Terrisa Eckmann, dh/p -- 3 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0 -- 2

Becky Sintek, c -- 3 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 6 -- 1

Sarah Anderson, lf -- 3 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Tina McCaslin, p -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Amanda Kelly, p -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Totals -- 25 -- 2 -- 4 -- 2 -- 3 -- 6 -- 21 -- 10

Humboldt St. -- 133 -- 000 -- 0 -- 7 -- 8 -- 0

Neb.-Kearney -- 200 -- 000 -- 0 -- 2 -- 4 -- 3

E -- Berry, Rollman, Sintek. DP -- NK 1. LOB -- HS 8; NK 5. HR -- Keesling, Waller. SH -- Keesling.

Humboldt St. -- IP -- H -- R -- ER -- BB -- SO

B.J. Helfrich -- 0.0 -- 0 -- 1 -- 1 -- 1 -- 0

Jessame Kendall -- 7.0 -- 4 -- 1 -- 1 -- 2 -- 6

Neb.-Kearney -- IP -- H -- R -- ER -- BB -- SO

Tina McCaslin -- 1.2 -- 4 -- 3 -- 3 -- 1 -- 1

Amanda Kelly -- 0.1 -- 3 -- 4 -- 4 -- 0 -- 0

Terrisa Eckmann -- 5.0 -- 1 -- 0 -- 0 -- 4 -- 3

Winner -- Kendall (33-3). Loser -- McCaslin (15-4). WP -- Kendall, Eckmann. CI -- Sintek. Umpires -- Vavernac, Sloan and Murphy. Time -- 2:43. Attendance -- 371.