MARSHALL, Texas – The top-seeded Salisbury University softball team's magical run in the 2023 NCAA Division III Softball Championships came to an end on Wednesday on the final day of the tournament as the Sea Gulls fell to the third-seeded Trine Thunder 6-2 and 1-0 in a doubleheader to finish the 2023 season as national runners-up.

HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1

• Trine scored first in the opening inning of the game. With the bases loaded, Emma Lee hit a two-run double to the left-center gap to put a pair of runs on the board.
• The game was delayed for an hour and a half due to lightning in the area in the third inning.
• Trine added to its lead in the bottom of the fifth. A bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Ellie Trine and a sacrifice fly by Ashleigh Tranter doubled the Thunder lead to 4-0.
• Sam Flowers broke up the no-hitter with a single to left in the sixth inning. The Sea Gulls couldn't muster a rally.
• The Thunder added two runs in the sixth on singles by Karley Trine and Emma Beyer to extend their lead to 6-0.
• Salisbury strung some hits together in the seventh inning. Singles by Jillian Dawson and Natalie Paoli led to an RBI single by Maddison Lednum. Two batters later, Flowers drew a bases-loaded walk to score Lexie Delcollo to cut the lead to 6-2 and bring the tying run to the plate. A foul out and a fly out ended the Salisbury rally and put the two teams in the winner-take-all series finale.

HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2

• Salisbury loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the first inning after walks to Abby Mace and Sam Flowers and a single by Carrie Jacoby. After battling in a long at-bat, Maddison Lednum grounded out to end the inning.
• After a leadoff single by Emma Lee in the second inning, Emma Beyer tried to move her over with a sacrifice bunt and Lee wanted to take an extra base but a good play by Emily Stockman to cover third base cleared the bases and kept Trine off the board.
• Lindsey Windsor and Alexis Michon battled for the next three innings. Trine looked to score in the bottom of the fifth inning but Windsor stranded Emily Wheaton at third base with a groundout to end the inning.
• Trine walked off winners in the bottom of the seventh inning. Beyer led off the inning with a single and moved to second base after a sacrifice bunt. Carolyn Biel hit a single down the left-field line that just stayed fair to score Beyer from second.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Maddison Lednum and Sam Flowers drove in Salisbury's runs in Game 1 in the seventh inning.
• Savannah Sheats (L) took the loss in Game 1 after she went 4.2 innings and scattered seven walks, four hits and four runs with four strikeouts.
• Lindsey Windsor (L) pitched 6.2 strong innings in Game 2. She struck out four and only allowed the run in the seventh with six hits and two walks.

THE WRAP

• Salisbury concludes the 2023 season with a program-record 49 wins with a 49-6 overall record.
• The Sea Gulls made their 11th appearance in the national championship with its fourth runner-up finish.

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Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football and men's and women's swimming, and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse. With over 500 student-athletes in 21 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, and dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on-and-off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 23 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 196 conference championships and 44 Academic All-Americans.
 
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or on social media @SUSeaGulls.