4:00 p.m. - Firestone Stadium, Loser's Bracket Semifinal
#7 Ave Maria University (3-1) - 5, #2 Carlow University (1-2) - 2
Marlie Braddy lifted Ave Maria to a 5-2 win with two hits and two RBIs in a loser's bracket semifinal against Carlow in the 2013 USCAA Softball National Championships. The Gyrenes scored all of their runs in the second inning, but would limit Carlow's chances to comeback in a rematch of a second round match-up from Monday night.
Carlow had knocked the Gyrenes into the loser's bracket with a 12-2 win in the last game of day one at the championships, but Ave Maria battled through the loser's bracket to advance and take on a Celtics team that had earlier lost to Lindenwood-Belleville. Ave Maria will meet four-seed Iowa Wesleyan at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday night in the loser's bracket final. Carlow slots into the fifth place game against WVU Tech at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday morning.
This second time around Ave Maria would come out on top, using timely hitting in the top of the second. Other than that inning, the Gyrenes managed only three other baserunners against Carlow pitcher Emily Pritts, who took her second loss of the tournament with a complete game six hitter.
Carlow took an early lead in the bottom of the first, scoring after Kaysie Young walked and advanced around the bases on a series of passed balls and errors for a 1-0 lead. Ave Maria's first run came from a Janet Holtfreter RBI single and they took a 2-1 lead on a bases loaded walk by Kingsley Avery. A passed ball made it 3-1, and then Braddy went to work. Her two-run double made the score 5-1 and gave starting pitcher Emily Lemin a comfortable cushion to work with.
Lemin finished a complete game seven hitter with a tournament-best eight strikeouts and only two walks. Carlow rallied for a run in the third, and despite having runners on in the fifth with two outs could not dent Lemin's 5-2 lead.
The Celtics still had a chance in the seventh, loading the bases with two singles and an Ave Maria error, but Lemin forced two pop ups to close out the Gyrenes win. Lemin improves to 2-0 in the tournament as Ave Maria advances to their third elimination game of the day.
