Mount Union softball team earns first NCAA super regional berth
ALLIANCE — The Mount Union Purple Raiders gave themselves a lifeline when their backs were pressed against the wall.
Their ace pitcher helped pry them loose so they could continue their sensational college softball season.
Kendyll Cahill pitched Mount Union to two wins over Christopher Newport in the NCAA Division III Tournament on May 16. The Purple Raiders beat the Captains 9-1 and 6-1 to earn a super regional berth for the first time in program history. Their super regional destination and opponent are still to be determined.
The Purple Raiders (33-7) needed to win three elimination games in two days to keep their season alive. They beat Penn College 13-2 on May 15.
“This team is resilient,” Mount Union coach Megan Simons said. “They always have been. That starts with teams prior to this one.
“We knew what was at stake. We knew what we had to, and they were locked in. … We knew we had to win three games, but we just shortened it up. Win the pitch, win the inning and win the out. Just shorten the game up and good things will happen.”
Christopher Newport’s 8-5 win over Mount Union gave the Captains the advantage. All they had to do was beat the Purple Raiders one more time to move on.
Cahill shut them down. The senior held Christopher Newport to just two runs and 11 hits over 14 innings, walked only two and was named the Mount Union regional’s MVP.
“I know when she’s on the mound she means business,” senior first baseman Sydney Mercer said. “We all know that. She knows we have her back. She just went out there and killed it today.”
Cahill’s efficiency kept her going. She threw 80 pitches in the first game and 89 in the second.
“It was the big key for me,” Cahill said. “I’m always dominant, always want to be out there pitching and always trust my defense out there with me.”
Mount Union led 2-0 in the first game before a lengthy rain delay put everything on hold. The delay didn’t cool off the Purple Raiders. They scored runs in each of the last four innings to force a winner-take-all game.
“We had momentum before that rain break,” Simons said. “During that break, we talked about keeping momentum.”
The decisive blows in the second game came in the fourth inning.
Kaitlyn Culver led off with a home run to left to give Mount Union a 2-1 lead. After Emily Denney reached on a bunt single and Allison Jones walked with one out, Mercer blasted a three-run homer to left to make it 5-1.
“Culver took all the pressure off me,” Mercer said. “That was like a huge momentum change. Her getting up and hitting that home run, everyone was just up a level.”
The four-run inning was more than enough for Cahill, who improved to 22-2.
“Kendyll is Kendyll,” Simons said. “We know what she’s capable of. She’s a gamer. She wanted the ball in her hands, and we trust Kendyll whether it’s one game at a time or two games at a time. She can put the team on her back.
“The team had her back and the offense had her back, which was huge to see.”
Hobart ends Mount Union baseball team’s historic season
The only thing that could end Mount Union’s historic baseball season in the NCAA Tournament was Hobart.
The Statesmen built a nine-run lead through five innings and beat the Purple Raiders 10-1 on May 16 in Salisbury, Maryland. Mount Union’s other defeat in the double-elimination regional was a 4-1 loss to Hobart on May 15.
Coach Paul Hesse’s team was able to make history before being eliminated. The Purple Raiders beat Bridgewater State 15-6 for their 32nd win, a single-season program record. They also set a program record for most runs in an NCAA Tournament game.
Trevor Szekely homered, tripled and drove in four runs to lead Mount Union (32-12) against Bridgewater State. Drew Doherty homered and drove in three runs. Daniel Tome III and Drew Denham also had three RBIs apiece.
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This article originally appeared on The Repository: NCAA college softball, Mount Union advances to first super regional
