MARSHALL, Texas – One swing of the bat by slugger
Jacey Leyvas proved to be the difference for top-seeded Linfield in the opening game of the NCAA Division III Championship Thursday afternoon at Jason Bell Park at Taylor Field.
Leyvas' walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning carried the Wildcats to a dramatic 2-1 victory over Tufts (Mass.).
Linfield (49-2) advances to play Wisconsin-Oshkosh Friday at 1 p.m. CDT (11 a.m. PDT). Severe weather in the area Thursday has caused Friday's schedule to be adjusted. Friday's forecast calls for rain in the morning hours with some clearing by midday.
On Thursday, the Wildcats drew first blood in the second inning.
Ashley Sutton gave Linfield a 1-0 lead, zipping an RBI single through the middle of the infield to plate
Mackenzie Burke from second base.
In the fourth inning, the Jumbos loaded the bases on Wildcats All-American
Tayah Kelley and capitalized on a Linfield miscue to tie the game. Kelley's wild pitch bounced off the turf and rolled to the backstop, giving Josie Steinberg a free pass to home plate.
Neither team could push across a run until the ninth. The Jumbos initially put the winning run in scoring position, only to be denied. First, Keila McCabe singled to the outfield and moved to second base on a sacrifice by Rachel Moore. But Kelley and the Wildcats held their ground, getting Keriann Slayton to ground out and Haley Leimbach to fly out into the glove of
Claire Seats for the third out.
That set the stage for the game-winning swing by Leyvas in the bottom of the ninth, touching off an euphoric celebration. The junior third baseman launched her sixth home run in nine games, all of them coming in the postseason.
Kelley raised her season record to a Division-III-best 31-2. She struck out seven Jumbos but allowed six hits and three walks.
Tufts southpaw Sophia DiCocco (17-5) pitched the entire game, surrendering nine hits and one walk to the Wildcats.
Cydney Hess enjoyed the greatest success at the plate against DiCocco, tapping three hits in her four at-bats.
Tufts (38-9) falls into an elimination game versus Virginia Wesleyan Friday at 3 p.m. CDT (1 p.m. PDT).
