Chattanooga, TN - The 14th-ranked McKendree University Softball team continues to make history. On Tuesday, the Bearcats (51-16) took the field at Frost Stadium for their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division II Softball National Championship Series. That in and of itself brought additional dignitaries to Chattanooga, whether that be administratively, families, alumni, and more. On the other side was the nation's unanimously first-ranked team in the Saint Leo Lions (53-3-1), also making their first-ever Champ Series appearance. After Saint Leo made the first punch with a two-run first, McKendree punched back in a big way with a grand slam, but a counter-punch of even greater proportions got the game in the Lions' hands. The counter-punch would be insurmountable for the Bearcats, as Saint Leo took the opener of the best-of-three series, 15-4.
In the first, McKendree got to the plate first, getting a single from Lauren Harris, the 104th of her season and 342nd of her career, but she would be stranded.
Then, the initial punch from the Lions. A hit by pitch and a single set up an RBI single to take the first lead of the game for either side. Four batters later, Saint Leo would tack on another RBI single, but in an attempt to make it 3-0, the Lions were tagged out at home to end the inning and keep it at 2-0.
Unfortunately, the Bearcats didn't answer, going 1-2-3.
Saint Leo punched again in the second, doing so on consecutive plate appearances. First, an RBI single. Then, an unearned run scored on an error to make it 4-0 in favor of the Lions.
Ah, but there was still softball to be played, leaving plenty of time for McKendree to respond, not even necessarily needing all four runs instantaneously. Well, Jasmine Myers had no interest in making that comeback in stages. First came singles from Trista Moore and Sami Huck. Then it was a walk from Lauren Harris. That left the bases loaded for Myers. After lining a home-run-length foul ball on a 1-1 count, Myers adjusted and cranked a grand slam into the woods beyond Frost Stadium's left field fence to make it a brand new game, tying it up at four runs apiece.
Alas, as remarkable an inning as it was for the Bearcats, that would practically be it for the offense.
The rest of the way, McKendree mustered a double from Molly Bartz in the fourth, but that would turn out to be the final hit of the game for the Bearcats.
In the final four trips to the plate, McKendree's offense had six successful plate appearances, including a top of the seventh that saw a Bartz walk, a Rudy Dobbins pinch-hit hit-by-pitch, a Moore walk, and fielder's choices that Sami Huck and Lauren Harris reached on.
In the midst of that, Saint Leo scored 11 unanswered runs - three in the fourth and eight in the fifth. Olivia Tipton and Ellie Vetter both made valiant efforts out of the bullpen, but the Lions could do no wrong.
Despite the loss, McKendree's first since the Midwest 2 Regional Championship, a National Championship is still in play. The Bearcats now need to win both games on Wednesday to take the best-of-three series from the Lions.
Regardless of the result on Thursday, there will be a team winning its first-ever NCAA Division II Softball National Championship. Also regardless of Thursday's result(s), McKendree is planning to leave Chattanooga Thursday morning, with an initial target to return to campus in Lebanon in the mid-afternoon hours Thursday.
SHE SAID IT - QUOTES FROM HEATHER TARTER
Opening Statement
"Congrats to Saint Leo. They played a really great game. They came out firing offensively. I really liked what we did coming back in the third with the four-spot, after they'd put up four, but we didn't do what we needed to do to win the game on defense or in the circle today. We gotta bounce back."
On what difference she saw in the team's counter-punch response despite having fought back so many times this postseason
"We didn't play well defensively. We made too many uncharacteristic mistakes. We weren't hitting cuts, we weren't communicating. We just have to come back better and clean it up."
On the silver lining of it being a three-game series
"We went through this before. We went through this with Rockhurst in the Regional. We got punched in the face and we came back and came out firing. We just have to lock back in and play the way that we can play."
SHE SAID IT - QUOTES FROM LAUREN HARRIS
On Jasmine Myers' grand slam
"It definitely changed the energy of the game. When you hit a grand slam, no matter the situation, it's a huge deal. When you do it in a National Championship, it's even more of a big deal. She helped us a lot with that."
On what kind of fight should be expected from the Bearcats on Wednesday
"I think a lot. I think it (the loss) shocked a lot of the girls. I think they realized we're going to have to step it up. Hopefully, the memory of a goldfish. Flush it, learn from it, and come back tomorrow."
WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE BEARCATS
2026 NCAA DII Softball National Championship Series
Games Two & Three
vs. #1 Saint Leo Lions (53-3-1)
Wednesday, June 3rd - 3:00 PM & 5:30 PM Eastern (2:00 PM / 4:30 PM Central)
at Frost Stadium - Chattanooga, Tennessee
Watch Live - Game 2 Only (NCAA.com)
Live Stats - Game 2 Only (NCAA.com)
Watch Live - Game 3 Only (NCAA.com)
Live Stats - Game 3 Only (NCAA.com)
Tickets (Zeffy)
