Freshman Shine in G-MAC Tournament | Oilers Head to Championship Game
Findlay, Ohio – For the first time in the NCAA era of the program, the University of Findlay softball team has earned a trip to a conference tournament championship contest.
After beginning the event with two wins, the Oilers took on (2) Hillsdale College to begin their day on Friday, May 5, falling in that winners bracket final by a score of 4-0. In the consolation final, Findlay had a date with the (8) Tiffin Dragons. For the second time in the tournament, the Oilers defeated TU, winning by a score of 5-1 to advance to Saturday's Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Tournament Championship. With the split, Findlay has a record of 32-15 on the year.
"We were able to regroup and come back as a team," said freshman second baseman Annika Bredel following the contest. "We know we had to win. We don't want to end our season. Win as a team and lose as a team."
In the morning session, Findlay and Hillsdale went toe-to-toe as neither team was able to take control of the contest early on.
Hillsdale had the first scoring chance when they loaded the bases with one out in the second, but a strikeout and fielder's choice ended the threat.
Over the next three innings, neither team advanced a runner past second base as the pitchers began to bear down.
It wasn't until the sixth that one of the zeros could be removed from the scoreboard, and that went in favor of the Chargers. In the bottom of the sixth, Hillsdale got the game's first big hit, a two-run home run by Jenna Cantalupo. HC would score four runs in the inning and Findlay was set down 1-2-3 in the seventh, ending the game.
Findlay was then set up for a game against the winner of Tiffin and (3) Trevecca Nazarene. The Dragons played spoiler again, defeating TNU by a score of 3-1 to earn game in the consolation finals against the Oilers.
The first inning saw the Orange and Black load the bases with two outs, but no runs were scored.
Senior Makayla Cowan led off the bottom of the second with a triple to right and, after a groundout, Cowan came in to score on a fielder's choice off the bat of senior Bailey Bates. Another fielder's choice later in the inning allowed Bates to score, putting Findlay ahead 2-0.
In the bottom of the fifth, freshman Annika Bredel led off with a double to center and came in to score the next play when senior Caroline Turner singled to right center. After a sacrifice bunt, freshman Jenna Poulson, who pinch ran for Turner, scored on a squeeze play by senior Kaitlynn Briggs.
Leading 4-1 in the bottom of the sixth, coming off of an inning where Tiffin finally scored and seemed to take back some momentum, Bredel delivered a devastating blow. With two outs, Dragons' pitcher Claire Feldkamp, who had thrown 29 innings in the G-MAC tournament alone to that point, hung a changeup over the middle of the plate and the Oilers' freshman launched it deep over the wall in left field. That swing made it 5-1 Findlay and put the momentum back in favor of the Orange and Black.
Freshman starter Kayla Dykin set down the Dragons 1-2-3 in the seventh to end the game and send Findlay to tomorrow's title bout.
In the must-win game, Dykin was spectacular. She threw a complete game and allowed just one run, none earned, on three hits. She walked just one and struck out nine.
Fellow freshman Annika Bredel finished the game with three hits including a double and a home run. She also scored two runs and had an RBI.
Makayla Cowan also had a game to remember as she picked up three hits including a triple.
Findlay will take on Hillsdale College tomorrow morning, May 6 at 10:00 am. Due to their path through the consolation bracket, the Oilers will need to defeat the Chargers twice if they hope to secure the team's first conference tournament championship and secure a second consecutive bid to the NCAA DII Midwest Regional.
Catch the action all day tomorrow on the G-MAC Digital Network.
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— Findlay Oilers (@FindlayOilers) May 5, 2023
Hear from freshman Annika Bredel who had 3⃣ hits including a home run, helping keep Findlay's season alive!
��: G-MAC Digital Network pic.twitter.com/xZrKFihkjg