UPDATE:
TYLER, Texas – The Texas Lutheran softball team has won the NCAA Division III National Softball Championship, the first in program history.
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The lady Bulldogs swept their way to the title, defeating the Emory Eagles 12-4 in the first game and then 6-1 in the second.
CHAMPIONS: Texas Lutheran (@tluathletics, @TLUsoftball) wins the NCAA Division III National Softball Championship for the first time in school history! Highlights coming up tonight on #KSATsports pic.twitter.com/txnMxq5UMk
— KSAT 12 Sports (@InstantReplaySA) May 27, 2019
Game one was decided by an offensive explosion in the bottom of the third. TLU plated eight runs on six hits -- capped by a Casey Martin RBI single -- to take a 9-2 lead, then added another three runs in the bottom of the sixth. The Bulldogs turned a double play to clinch the victory in five innings, moving a game away from the championship.
NCAA Division III NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!! #SCACsb #PupsUp #d3sb #NFCA #TLUBulldogs pic.twitter.com/ZdHvd6VgQE
— TLU Bulldogs (@tluathletics) May 27, 2019
It didn't take long for the offense to strike in game two. After freshman pitcher Chassety Raines opened the scoring with an RBI double, senior Kassie Maddox added an exclamation point with a two-run home run to left. Junior Rebecca Snow and sophomore Skyler Ouellette padded the lead with back-to-back solo homers in the top of the fifth. Kelly Jurden recorded the final out of the game, as the Bulldogs rushed the field to celebrate the program's first Division III National Championship of any kind.
THE TROPHY!!! @NCAADIII NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!! #SCACsb #PupsUp #d3sb #NFCA #TLUBulldogs pic.twitter.com/EhfToHIP1D
— TLU Bulldogs (@tluathletics) May 27, 2019
ORIGINAL STORY:
The Bulldogs are two wins away from a national championship.
Playing in the program's first College World Series, the Texas Lutheran softball team has swept its way to way to the final series, clinching a berth with a come-from-behind 6-3 victory over Trine University on Sunday afternoon.
The victory did not come easy.
The Bulldogs had to rally twice from one-run deficits. First, as they were trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the third, junior Madisyn Cates capped a two-run inning with an RBI double to right, driving in Casey Martin to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead. Then, with Trine up 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth, Chassety Raines drove home Skylar Ouellette to put TLU back in front 4-3. Rebecca Snow added some insurance the next inning, driving in a pair of runs with an RBI single. Pitcher Kayla Oliveira slammed the door shut, striking out three batters in two innings of relief.
Texas Lutheran will now face Emory in the game one of the national championship series at Suddenlink Field at 1 p.m. Monday.