Madonna, UM-Dearborn End Seasons in NAIA Softball Opening Round

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - (NAIA Opening Round) - Both of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) teams ended their season in the 2022 NAIA Softball Opening Round. Madonna lost to third-seeded Columbia (Mo.) and top-seeded Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) in the Henderson Bracket to end its season at 31-9. UM-Dearborn's historic season ended at the bats of top-seeded Southeastern (Fla.) and second-seeded Geogia Gwinnett (Ga.) in the Lawrenceville Bracket to end its first trip to the Opening Round and finish at 30-13.

Henderson Bracket - Henderson, Tenn.
No. 3 Columbia (Mo.) def. No. 2 Madonna (Mich.) 3-0
Both teams combined for just four hits through the first four innings until Columbia scored a run in the last three innings for a 3-0 lead. MU's bats remained cold as the Crusaders were hitless in each of those three innings. Maeson Schauld suffered the loss with all three runs earned.

No. 1 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) def. No. 2 Madonna (Mich.) 1-0
Madonna threatened in the top of the third with runners on second and third, but a line drive into a double play to clear the Crusaders off the field. Freed-Hardeman answered in the bottom of the frame with the only score of the game. Schauld took the second loss of the Opening Round with one run on two hits in six innings of work.

Lawrenceville Bracket - Lawrenceville, Ga.
No. 1 Southeastern (Fla.) def. No. 4 UM-Dearborn 8-2
UM-Dearborn struck early on a single from Amber Cheplick with one out. Cheplick stole second to put herself in scoring position. After the second out, Aspen Starr reached on a throwing error and Cheplick advanced. Lanie Ellinger singled to right center to score Cheplick and Starr was called safe on an obstruction call to give the Wolverines a 2-0 lead. Southeastern scored in the bottom of the fourth and scored twice more in the fifth to take a one-run lead. The Wolverines went three and out in the top of the seventh before SEU scored five runs on five hits in the bottom of the frame. Ellinger got the start in the circle for the Wolverines, throwing 5.1 innings and surrendered four earned runs while striking out two.

No. 2 Georgia Gwinnett def. No. 4 UM-Dearborn 3-0
After five-and-a-half scoreless innings, Georgia Gwinnett delivered the game's only runs in last half of the sixth frame on a pair of base hits. The Wolverines pinch hit twice in the top of the seventh, but couldn't get runners on base. Lanie Ellinger (16-6) was credited with the loss in the elimination game after 5.2 innings with one earned run.