Box Score FINDLAY, Ohio – Fourth-seeded Trevecca Nazarene University softball (33-15) won for the third time in as many games at the 2022 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Championships, advancing to the tournament finals on Sunday.
Trevecca defeated the University of Findlay 5-1 on Saturday.
ALL-TIME VS FINDLAY
Trevecca pulled to within one of Findlay in the all-time series. The Oiler's lead is 5-4 and though the Oilers swept Trevecca in the regular season, the Trojans have now won three out of the last five meetings.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Trojans are the only undefeated team in the tournament. Meaning the Trojans need just one win against second-seeded Ohio Dominican University on Sunday to claim the 2022 title. The Panthers need two wins against the Trojans to earn the title.
For Trevecca, they are looking for their fifth Great Midwest conference tournament championship. The Trojans won the first four, but the last postseason championship was in 2016. Meaning, that Trevecca has won half of the G-MAC postseason championships in the history of the conference. They already own five of the nine regular-season titles.
Today, Ohio Dominican had to play and win three games to advance to the Great Midwest Finals. Trevecca did the same thing last year only to have their run end in the finals at the hands of Ohio Dominican. This year, the roles are reversed.
ALL-TIME VS OHIO DOMINICAN
Trevecca leads the all-time series 10-7 but has lost the last four meetings.
The Panthers swept the season series this year, winning 8-0 and 5-2 in Columbus.
Last year, the Panthers ended the Trojans Great Midwest Tournament run with a 4-2 win and ended the Trevecca season with a 2-0 win in the NCAA Midwest Regional.
2022 Great Midwest Championships Home
HOW IT HAPPENED - Trevecca 5, Findlay 1
Trevecca scored a run in each of the first three innings for a 3-0 lead. Gracie Kirby drove in Anna Bennett in the first for the 1-0 lead. Malone Thrift reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on an error by the shortstop, the error also allowed Kaylee Adams to score, putting the Trojans up 2-0. Gracie Kirby singled again, driving in Sydney McCormick for a 3-0 advantage. The score remained the same until the top of the sixth when TNU plated two more runs for a 5-0 advantage. Alyssa Triner homered and then Sydney McCormick singled to drive in Megan Walker. Findlay broke through, scoring the first run of the tournament against Trojan starter Ashlan Sensing.
GAME KEYS
Ashlan Sensing is 3-0 in the 2022 Great Midwest Championships. She's allowed just one run over 18 innings of work in the circle. She didn't allow a run in the first 17 innings. She has two complete games and one shutout through three games. She's allowed 11 hits and one walk with 12 strikeouts. She's held the three teams to a combined .175 batting average. Today she pitched all seven innings with seven hits allowed and one walk with three strikeouts.
Sydney McCormick, Gracie Kirby, and Alyssa Triner all had two hits. Kirby had two doubles and two RBI. Alyssa Triner added a home run and a double. McCormick also doubled and had a stolen base.
Lenna Robinson had a stolen base, her conference-leading 47th of the year.
TROJAN NOTES: Nine Game Win Streak
Ashlan Sensing added another win (18-7) and a complete game (15). Her season earned run average is 1.98 with 120 strikeouts and has allowed just 21 walks. Sensing moved to third on the NCAA D2 Era season wins list. She moved to third on the NCAA D2 Era single-season complete game list today. She has pitched 141.2 innings this season.
Over the nine-game winning streak for the Trojans, Ashlan Sensing is 6-0 in the circle. Her ERA during the stretch is 0.21 (one run allowed) and in the 34 innings of work she has struck out 23 while allowing 22 hits, three walks, and two extra-base hits. Opponents are hitting .182 against the freshmen. The first-team all-conference selection added four complete games and three shutouts.
Anna Bennett is hitting .536 in the nine-game streak. The junior has scored 11 runs with five doubles, a home run, and seven RBI. She has a .618 on-base percentage with four walks and two hit-by-pitch. She's 2-2 on stolen base attempts.
Lenna Robinson is hitting .520 and is 8-8 on stolen base attempts. She's added two walks, a hit-by-pitch, five runs scored, and two RBI.
THE PATH TO THE TOURNAMENT FINALS
In the tournament's opening game, Trevecca defeated fifth-seeded Tiffin University (22-27), 5-3, at Iriti Field.
With the win, Trevecca moved on in the winner's bracket and knocked off top-seeded Hillsdale College (31-19), 2-0, in a game that started at 11:45 AM CT on Anderson Field.
With Thursday's late games and Friday's schedule rained out, the Trojans game with third-seeded Findlay was moved to midday Saturday. The Trojans started the offense early and never trailed on the way to a 5-1 win.
GREAT MIDWEST DETAILS
The championships run May 5-7, 2022 at Marathon Diamonds in Findlay, Ohio. The championship features a six-team bracket with the top two seeds (No. 1 Hillsdale, No. 2 Ohio Dominican) getting a first-round bye.
SEASON NOTES
Trevecca is on a nine-game win streak, outscoring their opponents 54-9 in that stretch.
The Trojans' neutral site record is 15-7 after going 11-9 in neutral site games last year.
This season, the Trojans have outscored opponents 277-162, a +115 differential.
The Trojan pitching staff produced 12 shutouts and a no-hitter (Alex Behnke).
The team has earned 10 wins this season through the run-rule (leading by eight or more runs after five innings of play). However, the run rule has only been used three times against the Trojans this season.
The 132 stolen bases this year is an NCAA Era record at Trevecca. The previous record was 96 in 2019.
The 167 walks is a new Trevecca NCAA Era best, topping the 145 in 2016.
ALL-TIME TREVECCA NOTES
The Trojans are assured of their 22nd consecutive winning season, dating back to the 2000-2001 season. After producing a winning record (22-20) in the program's first season (1991-1992), the team didn't have another winning record until the 2000-2001 season.
This is the tenth season for Trevecca with an NCAA Division II schedule.
*Records updated through the first three games of 2022 Great Midwest Championships
314-141 Overall - NCAA Era (10 years)
31-14 Postseason - NCAA Era (10 years)
6 - 30-Win Season in NCAA D2 Era (10 years)
913-553-3 All-time Record (NAIA/NCAA - 31 Seasons)
15 - 30-Win Seasons (31 Seasons)
BEN TYREE NOTES
Ben Tyree is in his fourteenth as the head coach at Trevecca and owns nine 30-win seasons, six in the D2 Era. Tyree owns the most wins in Trevecca history and has tallied more Great Midwest wins than any other league coach.
*Records updated through the first three games of the 2022 Great Midwest Championships
Overall: 465-197-2
Conference: 209-61-1 (140-44 Great Midwest)
Postseason: 49-24 (31-14 D2 Era)
Ben Tyree surpassed the 400-win mark in 2020
Thirteen of his 14 seasons have produced 21 wins or more
*2020 season 15-3 due to the COVID-19
Great Midwest Coach of the Year – four times
Coach of the Year – seven times (w/ NAIA years)
PRESEASON COACHES POLL
Coming off a 2021 Great Midwest regular-season title and a third trip to the NCAA region championship, the 2022 Trojans were picked by league coaches as the preseason favorite to repeat. This is despite the Trojan roster having just one senior following a sizeable 2021 graduating class. Coach Tyree rebuilt the roster with freshmen and a mix of transfers.
GREAT MIDWEST CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
Trevecca won the first four Great Midwest Athletic regular-season titles and postseason championships. Last year the Trojans added a fifth regular-season G-MAC title.
MIDWEST REGIONALS
Three times, the Trojans have advanced to the NCAA D2 Regional (2015, 2016, 2021). The Trojans claimed the 2016 Great Midwest regular-season championship and tournament, giving the Trojans the 2016 NCAA Division II Midwest Regional with the conference automatic qualifier. The Trojans picked up their first at large bid in 2015 and again in 2021.
Not only is Trevecca the first Great Midwest team to advance to the regional, but they are also the first to secure wins at the regional level.
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