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Highlights | The Pioneers lost in the HAAC tourney title game on Sunday but won twice earlier to qualify for the Opening Round of the NAIA National Tournament. In the first round of the 8-team single-elimination tournament, MNU jumped all over Missouri Valley and won 8-0 in 5 innings. The Pioneers got on the board in the second inning on an RBI groundout from pitcher
Katie Williams. MNU broke it open in the third with help from 2 Valley errors and a 2-run double from
Jen Polivka to take a 5-0 lead. In the bottom of the fifth, the Pioneers rallied for 3 runs to take an 8-0 lead and end the game via the mercy rule.
Katie Williams struck out 5 to earn a complete game shutout. And
Tianna George (2-2, R, RBI, SB, SF),
Jen Polivka (2-3, R, 2B, 3 RBI), and
Katie Williams (2-3, R, 2B, RBI) led the offense.
In the semifinal vs. Baker, the Pioneers and Wildcats played the best game of the day. MNU got on the board in the bottom of the first when
Jen Polivka's 2-out RBI single made the score 1-0. The lead was extended in the third when
Tianna George picked up a sacrifice fly to score
Lynsey Keith. The 2-0 lead was held by pitcher
Taylor Pearcy until Baker brought home a run in the sixth. Baker went quietly in the 7th and Pearcy got her 10th win of the season.
Lynsey Keith (1-2, R, BB),
Tianna George (1-2, 2B, RBI, SF), and
Jen Polivka (2-3, RBI) led the offense.
The title game vs. top-seeded CMU was a slugfest. Each team hit 5 homers but CMU came away with a 19-8 victory in 5 innings. The Eagles scored 2 in the first and 4 in the second to take a 6-0 lead, but the Pioneers fought back in the second.
Tianna George led off with a walk and
Jen Polivka followed with a homer. Chelsey Steibich followed with a solo shot, and after a Jess Scarlett single,
Vanessa Arandules brought the Pioneers within 1 with a 2-run shot. The game would not be close again, however, as CMU rallied for 8 runs in the third and 5 more in the fourth to take a 19-6 lead. Polivka's second 2-run shot of the game made the final score 19-8 as CMU took the title. Conference Player of the Year, CMU's Lauren Geringer, reached base in every inning. She walked in the first, homered in each of the next 3 innings, and walked again in the fifth for a 4-run 8 RBI game. And
Tianna George (2-2, 3 R, HR, RBI, BB),
Jen Polivka (2-3, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI), Chelsey Steibich (1-3, R, HR, RBI), and
Vanessa Arandules (1-2, R, HR, 2 RBI) had big games at the plate for the Pioneers.
MNU is 28-13. The next game is the 4-team double elimination Opening Round tournament starting Monday the 13th at a location to be determined. The winner of that tournament moves on to the Final Site in Columbus, GA.
