#1 Rio Grande wins KIAC Softball Tournament over #2 IU Southeast

5/1/2016 12:00:00 AM

OWENSBORO, Ky. -- No. 1 seed the University of Rio Grande rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh to beat No. 2 seed Indiana University Southeast, 3-2, in KIAC Softball Tournament championship game on Saturday night at Brescia's Kamuf Park.

The RedStorm (40-7, 17-1 KIAC) went a perfect 3-0 in the tournament to win the title. Rio Grande trailed, 2-1, but loaded the bases with one out in the last of the seventh.

Tayler Arndt lifted a single to right field to bring home the tying run as the bases remained loaded. Ariel Roder then grounded a ball to third base, and IU Southeast could not cut down the winning run as Brittany Walk slid head first into home for the victory.

Rio Grande qualifies for the NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round with its KIAC Tournament title.

IU Southeast (33-17, 15-3 KIAC) also qualifies for nationals as a result of reaching the finals versus Rio Grande, which had already guaranteed one of the conference's two NAIA bids as the regular-season champion. As a result, IU Southeast got the conference's second bid as tournament runner-up.

The championship round was the second meeting of the day between the top two seeds of Rio Grande and IU Southeast. The teams met in the winner's bracket final earlier with the RedStorm coming out on top 5-2 with the key result.

IU Southeast made two errors that led to three unearned runs in the first meeting. That was more than enough for Rio Grande's Jenna Jones, who earned the win by giving up only one earned run on four hits over seven innings.

Rio Grande had only five hits versus three IU Southeast pitchers, but it was enough for the victory.

That loss dropped IU Southeast down to the elimination bracket, and the Grenadiers survived No. 4 seed Carlow, 1-0, thanks to Sydney Seger's solo homer in the third that backed a four-hit, combined shutout from Caroline Cato and Emily Weiss.

Carlow had won the first game of the day, 3-2, over No. 3 seed Point Park after rallying for single runs in the sixth and seventh to come away with the victory.

Carlow won three elimination games including comeback wins over No. 6 Asbury and Point Park to make it to the final three teams for the second year in a row.

The Celtics beat Point Park with Madison Miller's pinch-hit single in the top of the seventh, and then had Nicole Hall finish off her complete game in the bottom half.

In the championship round, it was Seger's hitting that once again put IU Southeast in control. She had two hits, including an RBI double for a 2-0 lead in the fifth. But Rio Grande drew within 2-1 when an error followed Walk's infield hit in the bottom of the inning.

Rio Grande's rally in the bottom of the seventh made a winner out of Kelsey Conkey, who picked up eight striekouts and gave up only four hits in her seven innings.

IU Southeast once again used multiple pitchers, and it was Cato getting the start and giving up only one run and three hits over 4.2 innings. Morgan Keefer and Emily Weiss pitched the rest of the way.

For the final tournament bracket, complete tournament stats and standings and results, click the links above. Follow KIAC Softball at KIACSports.com, on Twitter @KIACSports and Facebook.com/KIACSports