SALEM, Va. - Freshman catcher
Leah Wood (Albertville, Ala./Albertville HS) turned on the first pitch in the bottom of the ninth and sent it sailing for a walk off home run in Birmingham-Southern's first game at the NCAA Division III Softball Championships. Wood's first career homer was her only hit of the evening as BSC (32-6) defeated Rochester, 3-2.
Birmingham-Southern fell behind early, 2-0, in the top of the second, but chipped back with a
Saydee Keith (Corner, Ala./Corner HS) RBI single in the third and a game-tying run by
Sam Hilyer (Prattville, Ala./Chattahoochee Valley CC) in the fourth. Hiller doubled and later scored on a passed ball.
The game remained knotted at two for the next four innings. Rochester put a runner on in the top of the ninth, but
Hailee Bryan (Laurel Hill, Fla./Paxton HS) struck out Alexis Klee to get out of the jam. Wood went from catching the final out to launching the winning run in consecutive pitches.
Annie Clayton (Eufaula, Ala./Eufaula HS) led the Panthers with a 3-for-4 day at the plate.
Morgan McGuire (Notasulga, Ala. / Reeltown HS) had two hits.
Bryan recorded the win in relief with 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit, walking two and striking out four.
BSC will now play No. 2 seed Virginia Wesleyan at 5 p.m. CT on Friday, May 28. Virginia Wesleyan shut out No. 7 St. Thomas (Minn.), 3-0 in its first game. No. 1 DePauw meets No. 4 Texas Lutheran in the other winner's bracket game.
Thursday's Results
No. 1 seed DePauw 2, No. 8 Wisconsin-Oshkosh 1
No. 4 Texas Lutheran 4, No. 5 Tufts 3
No. 2 Virginia Wesleyan 3, St. Thomas (Minn.) 0
No. 3 Birmingham-Southern 3, Rochester 2
