WAVERLY, Iowa –
Tarah DeCroock hit a two-run home run in the fifth for the lone runs of the game and
Julie Graf threw a two-hit shutout as the No. 24-ranked St. Olaf College softball team blanked No. 25-ranked Coe College in an elimination game at the Waverly Regional of the 2021 NCAA Division III Softball Championship on Saturday at Lynes Field.
With Graf and Ellie Thurow locked in a pitchers' duel, DeCroock provided the game's only runs with a two-out, two-run home run to left center in the fifth for top-seeded St. Olaf (26-7). Graf took care of the rest, holding fourth-seeded Coe (25-15) to two hits with three walks and 11 strikeouts to pick up her 21st victory of the season and help the Oles bounce back from a loss to MSOE earlier in the day.
With the win, the Oles are among the final three teams remaining in the regional heading into the final day on Sunday. Regardless of the outcome of Sunday's 10 a.m. game between St. Thomas and MSOE, St. Olaf will face the Tommies – the lone unbeaten team remaining in the regional – at noon.
In a game that featured a combined five hits, DeCroock had two of the five and was on base three times, going 2-for-2 with a walk, a single, and the decisive two-run home run. The fifth-inning blast by DeCroock was all St. Olaf could muster against Thurow, who took the loss despite allowing just three hits over seven innings.
DeCroock started the game by drawing a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and stole third but was left there after Thurow got the final two batters of the inning. The Kohawks also had a runner on scoring position in the first when Madi Parson doubled with two outs but could not capitalize.
Thurow and Graf put up zeroes until St. Olaf finally broke through in the fifth. After the first two batters of the inning were retired,
Annie Landon singled to shortstop to keep the inning alive for DeCroock, who blasted her fourth home run of the season to break the deadlock.
Outside of Parson's double in the first, the only other hit Graf would give up was a two-out single by Skyler Stookey in the sixth. Graf retired the final four batters after Stookey's single, including back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.
