MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Maryville Scots keep doing just enough – just enough! – to continue this magical postseason ride. Where it stops? Nobody knows.
And who can predict what the next day's events will bring? Haven't had a 1-0 victory all season? Fine. No problem. The Scots dialed up a 1-0 decision here Saturday and knocked off No. 22 Transylvania like it was a trip to Jason's Deli. It's crazytown!
Three total hits from the offense one day and four hits the next, yet Maryville is now in the NCAA Regional final against an opponent still to be determined. Berry eliminated Huntingdon 4-3 and then led Transylvania 4-0 when play was halted by heavy rain for the night in the top of the third inning. That game resumes Sunday at noon Central time, with the winner advancing to play the Scots for a berth in the NCAA Division III Softball Super Regionals.
The championship round begins at 2 p.m. Central time.
Maryville for the second straight day was outhit, this time 6-4. The Scots put just one runner on third base, and that was pinch-runner Sarah Phelps as she whizzed across the bag from second base and scored standing up when Micayla Clark's hard-hit two-out grounder got through the legs of Transy second baseman Avery Parsons.
Pitching Duel Goes to the Scots
Maryville ace Megan Ackerman took it from there, tossing a six-hit shutout for her 21st complete game of the season. Ackerman was just good enough to pitch the Scots past Transy's ace lefthander, Sophie Moshos, who allowed an unearned run on four hits while striking out six.
"What a great game out there today by both pitchers," Maryville head coach Jill Moore said. "Two lefties going at it pitch after pitch, and from the first inning, their lineup was prepared. They were swinging hard. They had a plan, and we had our plan, and both pitchers were out there dueling and giving it everything they had."
Transy would have scored in the third inning had MC right fielder Micayla Clark not laid completely out and caught a fly ball off the bat of Carson Murray that would have scored Ella Steczynski from first base.
"There was no way I was not catching that ball," Clark said. "I dove for it and caught it, and that gave us the flip of momentum."
Down and Hard and It's 1-0
One inning later, Clark came to bat with two outs and pinch-runner Sarah Phelps at second. Phelps was running for Emily Hill, who had singled to begin the frame.
"I said to Micayla that she hits the ball down and hard better than anybody in our lineup, and she was able to adjust and hit a good, hard ground ball exactly where we needed it," Moore said. "That was the difference in the ballgame. Those two pitchers out there today, they battled. It was fun."
Clark's hard grounder flickered off the glove of Parsons and into short center field. Phelps never slowed down and she scored standing up for the only run of the game.
Ackerman, meanwhile, was making adjustments that were paying dividends. After allowing three hits and four base-runners over the first three innings, Ackerman retired nine in a row from the third through the sixth innings.
"We had to change the game plan about midway through because they were swinging at the first pitch," Ackerman said. "We started throwing it a little out of the zone and getting them to swing or at least take one. The goal was to make them mis-hit the ball and get the lead out.
"We are successful when we get the lead out and when we can keep the ball the air and give our outfielders the chance to go get them and make those diving plays like Micayla did."
Exact Same Pitch Count
Ackerman made 89 pitches for the second game in a row, with a day off in between. She improved to 22-4 on the season and lowered her ERA to 1.25.
"I made a few mechanical adjustments that creep in when I am throwing a lot, but I'm just fighting for my life," Ackerman said. "We are seniors, and we want to keep playing. We are not ready to be done, and I want to put my team in position to see how far we can go."
So the Scots in this tournament are batting .143 to their opponents' .259, and they have scored a grand total of three runs. Saturday, it was Emily Hill with two hits and Sara Koonce and Bailey Myers delivering one apiece to account for the Maryville offense. But the Scots have allowed just a single unearned run over 15 innings and stand 2-0 heading into Sunday's play riding a thunderstorm's worth of confidence.
"Everyone's ready the second they wake up," Clark said. "It's always, 'We're going 1-0 today.' Everyone's ready to go all the time. Coach puts Phelps in, and we all know she's going to score. Campbell went up to hit and we're all like, 'Yeah, Campbell's got it.' Everyone's like, 'Yes, put me in! I've got this!' The second we wake up, everyone's ready to go."
One More Day of 1-0
Moore agrees. Her team is feeding off its seniors and looks for another day of 1-0. The Scots are now 35-11, winners of eight in a row overall and nine consecutive postseason games on Huntingdon's Cannon Field.
"We try to go 1-0 every day," Moore said. "When you have nine seniors who have so much heart and are such good people – I look Megan in the eye every day and we talk about how she's pitching for her life. The next day could be their last one, and you can't take that away from this team.
"There are some things we need to improve on. But if it's not broken, don't fix it."
