Box Score (CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) – The top-seeded Thomas More College softball team won its sixth Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship as it defeated second-seeded Westminster College, 3-1, today (Sunday, May 7, 2017) in the championship game of the PAC Championship Tournament at Thomas More Field in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.
With the win, the Saints improve to 35-8 and earn the PAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. It will be the Saints' eighth NCAA Tournament appearance and sixth under ninth-year head coach Lindsay Eagan. The NCAA Division III Championship brackets will be announced on Monday (May 8) on the NCAA Championship Website (www.ncaa.com) at 1 p.m. With the loss, the Titans fall to 28-12.
Thomas More took a 2-0 in the bottom of the second inning when junior second baseman Sammy Sagers (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) had a two-run double scoring junior right fielder Danielle Piening (Cincinnati, Ohio/McNicholas) and first-year first baseman Andrea Gahan (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills).
The Saints added another run in the fourth inning sophomore left fielder Mary Beth Odom (Taylor Mill, Ky./Dixie Heights) had a run batted-in single to score Gahan and make the score 3-0.
Westminster plated a run in the sixth inning, but that wouldn't be enough as Thomas More won the championship game, 3-1.
Sophomore pitcher Alix DeDreu (Rising Sun, Ind./Rising Sun) earned the win in the circle as she pitched all seven innings and gave up one run (earned) on eight hits and struck out four.
The Saints had three players with multiple hits in the game as Sagers was two-for-three with a double, two RBI, Gahan was two-for-three with two doubles and two runs scored and sophomore third baseman Whitney Quillen (Dayton, Ky./Highlands) was two-for-three.
At the conclusion of the tournament, DeDreu was named the Most Outstanding Player. Sagers, Gahan and junior center fielder Laura Finke (Fort Wright, Ky./Notre Dame Academy) was named to the All-Tournament Team.
