Pomeroys, WVU-Tech post opening round wins at RSC Softball Championships

5/4/2023 12:00:00 AM

RSC Sports Information
SOUTH CHARLESTSON, W.Va. - St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) College and West Virginia University-Tech earned opening round victories on Thursday afternoon as the 2023 River States Conference Softball Championships got underway at Little Creek Park.
The Pomeroys, the No. 3 seed out of the league's West Division, rallied from an early 5-1 deficit to post a 6-5 win over East Division No. 2 seed Point Park (Pa.) University, while WVU-Tech - the third seed from the East Division - upended West No. 2 seed Midway (Ky.) University, 5-0.
St. Mary-of-the-Woods, which improved to 33-14, will face West Division No. 1 and overall top seed Indiana University Southeast (30-15) in Friday's winner's bracket semifinals at noon.
WVU-Tech (23-25) will meet East Division No. 1 seed and overall No. 2 seed University of Rio Grande (34-16) in the other semifinal, which is also set for a noon first pitch.
Point Park (21-17) will face the Rio Grande-WVU-Tech loser in an elimination contest on Friday at 2 p.m., while Midway (27-18) gets the IU Southeast-SMWC loser in another elimination contest at 2 p.m.
In Thursday's action, Point Park opened up an early 5-1 lead by scoring four times in the second inning thanks to RBI doubles by Remi Koi and Melanie Taylor and run-scoring singles by Cameron Meier and Angalee Beall.
St. Mary-of-the-Woods rallied to tie the game in the third inning, though, thanks to a two-run double by Lyric Krause, an RBI double by Tori Lee and a run-scoring hit by Makayla Mills.
The deadlock remained intact until the top of the seventh inning when Camryn Scott hit a two-out, inside-the-park home run to give the Pomeroys a 6-5 advantage.
Point Park did put a runner on base in the home half of the seventh thanks to a single by Meier, but SMWC reliever Summer Rocha induced a groundout to shortstop by Beall to end the game.
Scott, Krause and Justyce Rohrabaugh all had two hits in the winning effort, while Rocha allowed just one hit over 5-1/3 innings of scoreless relief to get the win.
Meier finished 2-for-3 for Point Park. Beall went the distance in the pitcher's circle and suffered the loss.
WVU-Tech parlayed an outstanding pitching performance by Courtney Miles and a pair of multi-run innings into its win over Midway.
Miles tossed a complete game two-hitter and allowed just three baserunners in the contest - two of which came in the final two innings.
The Golden Bears snapped a scoreless tie with three runs in the third inning, two of which scored on a two-out bloop single to right-center by Scarlett Janney. Midway second baseman Makenna Talcott appeared to be in position to catch Janney's soft popup, but collided with the base umpire while trying to make the play as the ball dropped and the runners raced home.
Hailea Skeens added two-run single in the sixth inning for a pair of insurance markers.
Janney and Skeens both finished with two hits and two RBI for Tech, while Makenzie Holley was 2-for-3.
Madison Ludwig suffered the loss for Eagles, allowing eight hits and two walks in a complete game effort.
Friday's schedule also includes the winner's bracket final at 4 p.m. and another elimination contest at 6 p.m.
The RSC Game Central presented by Stretch Internet will broadcast live streaming video of all games of the championship. Subscribe for $7.95 per game or $19.99 for the entire tournament. Live stats will be provided on PrestoStats.
Click the link above for the complete championship bracket and schedule. Check back at this site for links to live coverage as well as scores, stats and updates throughout the championship.

2023 RIVER STATES CONFERENCE SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
May 4-6
at Little Creek Park
South Charleston, W.Va.

Thursday, May 4
Gm 1 -- St. Mary-of-the-Woods 6, Point Park 5
Gm 2 -- WVU Tech 5, Midway 0

Friday, May 5
Gm 3 (Field A) -- No. 1 (West) IU Southeast (30-15) vs. No. 3 (West) St. Mary-of-the-Woods (33-14) -- Noon
Gm 4 (Field B) -- No. 1 (East) Rio Grande (34-16) vs. No. 3 (East) WVU Tech (23-25) -- Noon
Gm 5 (Field B) -- No. 2 (West) Midway (27-18) vs. Loser Game 3 -- 2 p.m. (Loser Elim.)
Gm 6 (Field A) -- No. 2 (East) Point Park (21-17) vs. Loser Game 4 -- 2 p.m. (Loser Elim.)
Gm 7 (Field A) -- Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 -- 4 p.m.
Gm 8 (Field B) -- Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6 -- 6 p.m. (Loser Elim.)

Saturday, May 6
Gm 9 (Field A) -- Loser Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8 -- 10 a.m. (Loser Elim.)
Gm 10 (Field A) -- Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 9 -- 1 p.m. (Loser Elim. if second loss)
Gm 11 (if necessary) (Field A) -- Winner Game 10 vs. Loser Game 10 -- 30 min following (Loser Elim.)