SALISBURY, Md.--The Westminster College softball program suffered a 6-0 loss to No. 8 Salisbury University to open the regional round of the NCAA Division III Championships Thursday afternoon at Margie Knight Sea Gull Stadium.
Salisbury improved to 34-6-1 with the win. Westminster fell to 28-12. The University of Mount Union put together a four-run fourth inning in its 8-0, five-inning win over Pfeiffer University in the late game.
Friday, Salisbury will face Mount Union at 11 a.m., with the winner securing a spot in Saturday's title round. Westminster will take on Pfeiffer in the tournament's first elimination game at 1:30 p.m.
Salisbury grabbed a 1-0 lead on the second when Emily Stockman drove a solo home run to left center field. In the fourth, Lexie Delcollo's fielder's choice drove in Ellen Stockman after her leadoff single, stretching the lead to 2-0.
Salisbury struck for four runs in the fourth. Carrie Jacoby delivered a two-run double before Emily Stockman hit her second home run of the game, a two-run shot to left.
Justyce Richard gave up one hit over her 5.0 innings of work to improve to 11-1. She walked one and struck out one.
Sophomore right-hander Cheyenne Piper (Latrobe, Pa., Ligonier Valley) fell to 17-5 with the loss, giving up six runs (6 earned) on 10 hits with a walk and a strikeout. Senior third baseman Mia Meholick's (DuBois, Pa., DuBois Central Catholic) two-out single in the top of the first was Westminster's only hit before sophomore designated player Natalie Davis' (Youngstown, Ohio, Boardman) two-out base hit in the seventh.
