Chattanooga, TN - On Sunday afternoon, vibes were high for the 14th-ranked McKendree University Softball team as they got off the bus to Frost Stadium to play in the NCAA Division II Women's College World Series Final Four. It could have been the stage they were on, the fact that they'd had Saturday off, or something else, but either way, there was a sense of immense positivity. On the other side was a stout fourth-ranked Cal State San Marcos Cougars squad, who'd just left the stadium from their previous game at 1:15 AM eastern the night prior. Alas, that extremely late night didn't seem to phase the Cougars (57-12), who punched first with a quick start, but the Bearcats (51-15) countered with a big inning. Despite one more run crossing the plate for Cal State San Marcos, McKendree had created enough of a gap and still took the win, 4-3, advancing to the program's first-ever National Championship Series, which starts Tuesday, June 2nd.
A formidable bat in the Cougars' Jillian Albayati (batting over .500 coming in) started the game with a walk, then an RBI double and RBI single had the Bearcats down 2-0 before they could take some hacks themselves.
Cal State San Marcos also got a single and a successful sacrifice bunt in the second, but were unable to score, keeping that 2-0 lead as it was.
Then came the bottom of the second, and in hindsight, it would become a game-defining inning for McKendree. Laynee Tapp took the first pitch of the inning out to right center for a single. Then another first-pitch hit from Ali Grenzebach (single), both Tapp and Grenzebach would take off into scoring position on a wild pitch, still with no outs. Molly Bartz got the Bearcats on the board with an RBI sacrifice fly, and despite a visit to the circle by the Cougars, McKendree was far from done.
Addie Clark took the first pitch after that visit up the middle for a single. Trista Moore would come up with the big hit of the inning, and again in hindsight, perhaps the game - a 2-run double out to right center would score both Grenzebach and Clark, leading to absolute jubilation from Moore as she settled in safely on the second base bag. Moore's hit would also force a pitching change.
Even after that pitching change, the Bearcats still had more to get. Sami Huck laid down a slap bunt single that led to a defensive misalignment of the Cougars, then Lauren Harris brought Moore home with an RBI sacrifice fly to make it 4-2 McKendree after a lengthy second.
Sami Huck and the Bearcat defense were crucial the rest of the way. Cal State San Marcos stranded two runners in the third, but scored one on an RBI sacrifice fly in the fourth. Still, the Cougars would strand two in the fifth. Amid all of this, the defense is backing up Huck with plays like Laynee Tapp making a diving attempt for a ball, or Molly Bartz quite literally taking out a section of fencing in right field foul territory to make a catch.
In the fifth, McKendree nearly got some insurance thanks to a leadoff single and error advancement from Harris, but the next three were retired to leave her on the basepaths. Cal State San Marcos, however, just about turned the game on its head. A single, sacrifice bunt, walk, and walk all collectively loaded the bases with two outs. On an 0-1 count, Huck drew an 0-1 groundout right to Jasmine Myers at first base to snuff out a critical bases-loaded situation, especially critical in a one-run game so late as the sixth inning.
Mixed emotions in the bottom of the sixth, as McKendree got one on when Molly Bartz was hit in the elbow guard with a pitch, but she would be stranded. The positive, however, is regardless of the Bearcats not extending their lead, they were just three defensive outs away.
In three pitches, Huck had drawn a lineout to Addie Clark and a lineout to Trista Moore. The next Cougar batter would ground one over towards Ali Grenzebach, but it slipped through for an error. For the sake of Grenzebach, as poetic as it may be, she got another chance just one pitch later, safely bringing in this ground ball and firing it over to Jasmine Myers, sending the Bearcat faithful into a state of hysteria as they'd made the National Championship Series with their fifth-consecutive one-run victory and sixth total of the 2026 postseason.
SHE SAID IT - QUOTES FROM COACH HEATHER TARTER
Opening Statement
"Man, San Marcos. What a classy team. They came out firing. They were very respectful and really fun to play. You know, we don't get the opportunity to play too many California teams. Great competition for us. They did very well coming in and scoring first on us. I was really proud of our girls for keeping their composure and coming back and scoring the four runs. Defensively, we did what we needed to do to get the win."
On playing quality enough defense to strand 11 CSUSM runners on base
"We did a really good job defensively. Sami was doing a great job mixing her pitches up today, really keeping them off balance. We obviously were able to scout them late into the AM hours last night (Tarter did the coin flip via FaceTime at 12:45 AM EST)."
On why going up against such a classy, respectful team at this late a stage brings out the best in both teams
"At this point, we're just in cruise mode. It doesn't really matter who we're playing, we're coming in and doing our job. I would like to see us score a few more runs and not keep this thing so close and give us a little cushion here or there. Overall, we're just out there to play. We're taking it one day at a time. I honestly don't even know when we play on Tuesday, but I'm really excited for that."
On the return of fortitude from early deficits
"Grit and fight. I mean, every day they're coming in and fighting for everything. I don't get nervous when we're down. With Sami in the circle, I know we're going to hold them to a minimal amount of runs, then our bats come alive, and we just pass the bat, and we're really good with two strikes or two outs."
On what was working so well in the four-run second innings
"Just finding ways to get on base. Putting balls in play. Trista came up with a big hit."
On anything in particular she'd like to carry over into the Championship Series
"I wanna hit more (five seniors nod in approval). We gotta hit more. We're going to hit the cages tomorrow. We're a little off-whack with some of our hitting. We need to score earlier in the ballgame, be more productive at the plate, so we're going to focus on that tomorrow."
On what the gravity of playing for the University's first-ever major ball sport National Championship means to her, even if it seems like they've already made so much history as it is
"[long pause to shake off tears] Well, first of all, very proud of each and every one of these girls (the five seniors were the press conference participants). I love them dearly. For them to go out playing the last games of the season for anyone in Division II is pretty outstanding. The careers that they've all had. That's why we're here. This senior class has really led us. I'm just so happy that they get to continue to play and play another day."
SHE SAID IT - QUOTES FROM LAUREN HARRIS
On how contagious hitting success was in that second inning
"Yeah, I mean, you see your teammate go up there and get a hit, you have that confidence. Usually, I think it comes within the first one or two pitches."
SHE SAID IT - QUOTES FROM SAMI HUCK
On how she approached the rest of the game after falling behind 2-0
"I just try to keep my composure. I know that with our lineup, I can really see pitches, hit the ball hard, but in the circle, I wasn't really worried. I knew that we could bounce back. I mean, even if we were down five runs, I knew we could."
On what plays like Tapp's near-diving catch and Bartz taking out a fence to make one means to her as the pitcher
"It makes my heart hurt, because I don't want to see them get hurt, but it also makes me so happy that they would risk their bodies to make those plays for me and to make my job easier. I just (through tears) love these girls so much. I just love, I just, I don't know."
SHE SAID IT - QUOTES FROM LAYNEE TAPP
On the emotions of staying in the game despite a diving attempt that leaves the back not 100%
"It really just comes down to wanting to win. I know my abilities and I know my teammates have my back. If I'm at 80%, they have the other 20%. I know they'll always have my back."
SHE SAID IT - QUOTES FROM ELLIE VETTER
On what this run's been like and how it feels to be playing for a National Championship
"It's just amazing. I have confidence in every single one of these girls no matter what. I know whatever happens, someone's going to make the play. I've never doubted these girls. I'm just so proud of where we started and now where we're ending."
SHE SAID IT - QUOTES FROM ALI GRENZEBACH
On making the last play of the game
"That bounce was a little more clean than the other one (the error). I knew I was going to make a good throw and I knew that Jazzy (Jasmine Myers) was going to catch it. Even if I didn't, I knew that we were going to make the next play, so (gives two thumbs up)."
WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE BEARCATS
2026 NCAA Division II Softball National Championship
Best of Three Series - Game One
Tuesday, June 2nd - 5:00 PM CST / 6:00 PM EST
at Frost Stadium - Chattanooga, Tennessee
Watch Live (NCAA.com)
Live Stats (NCAA.com)
Tickets (Zeffy)
