For the Cumberland Times-News
Cumberland Times-News
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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Brennan Balfour hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to send third-seeded Susquehanna to a 3-1 win over sixth-seeded Frostburg State in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Softball Championship on Thursday.
The Bobcats (29-15) threatened several times but were never able to break through against the Crusaders (32-11). FSU will play the loser of the No. 2 Christopher Newport/No. 7 Piedmont game today at noon.
Sophomore Megan Magee scattered nine hits in the circle and struck out six while being tagged with her first loss in seven starts.
Susquehanna took a quick lead in the first inning when Deanna Anderson walked and scored on an error.
FSU threatened in the top of the third inning when Megan Henne singled and reached second on an outfield error. Later in the inning, Jacki Lynch singled to center but Henne was called out at home on a close play at the plate.
The Bobcats, who stranded a pair of baserunners in scoring position in the fourth, finally broke through in the fifth to tie it 1-1. Freitag led off the inning with a single, advanced to second on an error and to third on a sacrifice by Brooke Tapman before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Frietag.
Magee worked out of a jam in the bottom of the seventh and forced extra innings by getting a pop out and a ground out with a runner on third.
Frostburg State had a scoring chance in the top of the ninth when Taylor Vandegrift singled through the right side and moved to third on an infield error but was later thrown out at the plate on a grounder to second by Vandegrift.
In the Susquehanna ninth, Anderson drew a leadoff walk and Balfour ended it with a two-run homer to center field.
