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2023 Softball NCAA Super Regionals Preview

5/25/2023 1:03:00 PM

The Rundown

The top-ranked Salisbury University softball team looks for a return trip to the NCAA Championships as they host the Salisbury Super Regionals against the Lebanon Valley Dutchmen. The best-of-three series begins on Friday, May 26 at 2 p.m. with the final day that begins on Saturday, May 27 at 1 p.m. with the if-necessary game to follow. All of the games will take place at Margie Knight Sea Gull Softball Stadium.

The #D3sb bracket is HERE!#WhyD3 pic.twitter.com/7pKEvTYIrY
— NCAA Division III (@NCAADIII) May 15, 2023

Tournament Schedule

Friday, May 26

Game 1 - LVC vs. Salisbury - 2 p.m.

Saturday, May 27

Game 2 - Salisbury vs. LVC - 1 p.m.

Game 3 - If Necessary - 3:30 p.m.

Live Video

Live Stats

Regionals Information

NCAA Tournament Information

How We Got Here

Coming off a strong regular season, the Sea Gulls swept their way to the Super Regionals with wins over Framingham St. and Williams. The Sea Gulls began their tournament run with a 10-2 run-rule win over Framingham before taking two from Williams with a 7-2 and 6-1 win in the region semifinals and finals.

The 2023 Sea Gulls

#10 Lindsey Windsor | Three-time C2C Pitcher of the Year | Salisbury Regional Most Outstanding Player

#8 Sam Flowers | 2023 C2C Rookie of the Year

#5 Natalie Paoli | Two-time C2C Scholar-Athlete of the Year | All-Region

#18 Abby Mace | Two-time C2C Player of the Year | All-Region

#17 Maddison Lednum | All-Region

#6 Lauren Meyers | All-Region

#23 Carrie Jacoby | All-Region

#20 Emily Stockman | All-Region

After falling behind 2-0 in the opening inning, Salisbury scored 10 unanswered runs to take a 10-2 five-inning victory over Framingham St. to begin the NCAA Tournament. Lindsey Windsor and Natalie Paoli both collected three hits, with a double, a pair of RBIs and a run scored. Carrie Jacoby and Maddison Lednum notched back-to-back homers in the first inning. Lednum and Jacoby also recorded two hits. Windsor settled in after the two-run first inning. She did not allow a hit after the first frame in four innings of work. She struck out five to earn the win.
In the first matchup against Williams in the regional semifinals, Abby Mace walked with the bases loaded to score Sam Flowers to open the scoring in the second inning. A batter later, Lindsey Windsor launched a grand slam over the left-field wall to push Salisbury ahead 5-0. After Williams scored two in the middle innings, Lauren Meyers got those two runs back for the Sea Gulls with a single up the middle that scored Windsor and Jillian Dawson to push the lead back to five, 7-2, and the eventual win.
Salisbury clinched the regional championship with a 6-1 win over Williams. Sadie Leonard ran into control issues in the fourth inning as she walked eight batters in the bottom half of the fourth. Windsor, Meghan Reed, Madi Lemon, Abby Mace and Carrie Jacoby all drew walks with the bases loaded to drive in a run to push Salisbury ahead, 5-1. Emily Stockman gave Salisbury insurance in the bottom half of the fifth after she tripled to left-center field then later scored on a wild pitch.
Salisbury had seven players named to the NFCA All-Region teams.
Senior outfielder Abby Mace, senior pitcher/outfielder Lindsey Windsor, senior first baseman Lauren Meyers, senior catcher Emily Stockman and sophomore designated player Carrie Jacoby landed on the All-Region First Team while senior infielders Maddison Lednum and Natalie Paoli landed on the All-Region Second Team.
Salisbury was one of three schools that placed seven players on the NFCA All-Region teams. Salisbury and Tufts tied for the most first-teamers in the nation
The Salisbury offense led the conference in runs scored (312), hits (411), doubles (71), triples (18), RBIs (273), stolen bases (107), batting average (.349), on-base percentage (.427) and slugging percentage (.537).
The pitching staff had the lowest ERA in conference with a 1.28 ERA as well as the lowest home runs allowed (7) and runs allowed (74).
Abby Mace led the conference in stolen bases (21), doubles (12), triples (4) and runs scored (46). She also sits second in the league with nine home runs and a .516 on-base percentage.
Carrie Jacoby leads the C2C in batting with a .452 average.
Savannah Sheats had the lowest ERA in league with a 1.07 ERA. Nicole Ortega is right behind with a 1.09 ERA followed by Lindsey Windsor at a 1.15 ERA.
Windsor leads the C2C in RBIs (48) and tied for the lead in saves (3) and wins (14).
Salisbury ranks second in Division III in slugging percentage (.540).
The offense also ranks in the top-10 nationally in home runs (35).
The pitching staff has the seventh-lowest ERA in the country with a 1.27 ERA.
At the last individual stat update, Savannah Sheats sits 12th in the nation followed by Lindsey Windsor at a tie for 19th and Nicole Ortega at 30th.
Abby Mace ranks fifth in walks per game (0.79), 25th in slugging percentage (.807) and 35th in home runs (9).

Scouting Report

Lebanon Valley Dutchmen

Lebanon Valley enter the weekend with a 36-10 record and won their regional by winning four consecutive elimination games after a tough 4-1 defeat to 24th-ranked Eastern Conn. St.. The Dutchmen rebounded with a 6-2 victory over Eastern Nazarene and then avenged their loss to the Warriors with a 3-2 victory in game five of the regional. On Saturday, the Dutchmen shut out 15th-ranked Rochester, 2-0, to force a winner-take-all game and came out of the regional with a 5-3 victory.

The Dutchmen are led by three NFCA All-Region players in Jordan Walter, Lexi Smith and Sam Burns.

Walter, the MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Year, sits at 19-4 with three saves this season. Walter has a 1.36 ERA in 159.2 innings with 110 strikeouts.

Burns, the MAC Commonwealth Player of the Year, led the MAC with a .416 batting average. She has 64 hits, including 11 doubles and five triples, and added 42 RBIs with 24 runs scored. She is also a threat to steal bases with a 29-for-31 mark entering the Super Regionals.

Smith bats .385 with 50 hits, 23 runs scored and 14 RBIs. The starting second baseman has also stolen 20 bases on 22 attempts.

What's At Stake

The winner of the Salisbury Super Regional will be one of eight teams that will participate in the NCAA Championships, hosted by East Texas Baptist University. The “College World Series” will be held June 1-June 7 at Bell Park at Taylor Field in Marshall, Texas.

Salisbury will be looking to make its 11th NCAA Championship appearance.