ANDREW NOSTVICK SPORTS EDITOR
The Knights softball team was knocked out of the NCAA Div. III tournament after falling 5-1 to Washington University Saturday afternoon.
The Knights were only able to muster four hits in the loss to Washington.
Ashley Rogers went 1-for-3 with an RBI for the Knights. Rogers drove in the lone run for the Knights when she hit an RBI double, scoring Tina Vande Hoef from second base.
Lexy Determan got the loss for the Knights, pitching five innings and giving up four earned runs, striking out four batters.
“Elimination games can be determined by momentum and that proved to be the difference in the contest,” Knights head coach Kara Kehe said.
After a rain delay, the Knights gave up one run in the sixth inning on a wild pitch, to lose the game to Webster University, 1-0.
A wild pitch by Determan brought in the lone run for the game. Determan was the only player on either side to have multiple hits in the game.
“One run games are about capitalizing on opportunities and we just ended up on the short side of things,” head coach Kara Kehe.
The Knights opened up their appearance at the NCAA regional in Indianola on Thursday with a 5-4 win over the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.
A three-run sixth inning helped give the Knights the victory they needed.
A three-run home run by Determan helped give the Knights the lead for good.
Determan was also the winning pitcher in the game, striking out seven batters and giving up four runs in the complete game.
“Lexy’s done a tremendous job all year. I thought she had an outstanding season on the mound,” Kehe said. “That home run really showed her improvement at the plate and really her drive to be competitive.”
La Crosse struck first by putting up four runs in the first four innings.
The Knights put up two in the bottom of the fourth before Determan hit the three run homer.
Amy Daniels scored after Vande Hoef reached base on an error for the first run.
The second run came in on a fielder’s choice by Paige Gerstner, scoring Beth Schaufenbuel.
With their season over, the Knights finished in second place in the Iowa Conference with a 37-8 record and 12-3 in the conference.