COLUMBUS REGIONAL May 14 (Thur.)
Game 1: No. 11 seed (#11/10) Ohio State def. Canisius, 3-2
Game 2: BYU def. Kentucky, 6-2 May 15 (Fri.)
Game 3: No. 11 seed (#11/10) Ohio State def. BYU, 5-4 (8 inn.)
Game 4: Kentucky def. Canisius, 7-0
Game 5: Kentucky def. BYU, 4-2 May 16 (Sat.)
Game 6: No. 11 seed (#11/10) Ohio State def. Kentucky, 7-2
TEMPE REGIONAL May 15 (Fri.)
Game 1: #23/23 LSU def. Cal State Fullerton, 3-2
Game 2: No. 10 seed (#9/12) Arizona State def. SAN DIEGO STATE, 5-0 May 16 (Sat.)
Game 3: #23/23 LSU def. No. 10 seed (#9/12) Arizona State, 10-2
Game 4: Cal State Fullerton def. SAN DIEGO STATE, 8-2
Game 5: No. 10 seed (#9/12) Arizona State def. Cal State Fullerton, 7-0 May 17 (Sun.)
Game 6: No. 10 seed (#9/12) Arizona State def. #23/23 LSU, 6-4
Game 7: No. 10 seed (#9/12) Arizona State def. #23/23 LSU, 5-0
LOS ANGELES REGIONAL May 15 (Fri.)
Game 1: RV/#25 Fresno State def. UNLV, 2-1
Game 2: No. 2 seed (#2/2) UCLA def. Long Beach State, 4-2 May 16 (Sat.)
Game 3: No. 2 seed (#2/2) UCLA def. RV/#25 Fresno State, 4-2
Game 4: Long Beach State def. UNLV, 3-1 (13 inn.)
Game 5: RV/#25 Fresno State def. Long Beach State, 12-2 May 17 (Sun.)
Game 6: No. 2 seed (#2/2) UCLA def. RV/#25 Fresno State, 9-5
Mountain West Conference teams in CAPS.
Rankings according to the USA Today/NFCA and ESPN.com/USA Softball polls.
2009 NCAA TOURNAMENT RECAP
Three teams represented the Mountain West Conference in the 2009 NCAA Softball Championship. BYU earned the league's automatic bid after winning the MWC crown with a 12-2 record in Conference play, while San Diego State and UNLV received at-large bids after posting overall regular-season records of 33-18 and 31-19, respectively. The three berths mark the sixth time in the league's 10-year history that the Mountain West sent send multiple teams to the postseason. It also marks only the second time since the inception of the Conference that three MWC teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament, after BYU, San Diego State and Utah qualified for regional action in 2006.
COUGARS CLINCH MWC CROWN
After sweeping San Diego State in a doubleheader on May 2, BYU clinched the 2009 MWC title outright, marking the fourth time the squad has earned the league crown. The Cougars earned their first MWC championship in 2001, and placed first in the Conference in 2005 and 2007. BYU has totalled a 78-21 record against MWC opponents during the past five seasons. The Cougars, who started the 2009 season on a 33-game road trip, had a 16-game winning streak that spanned from March 24 - April 30, which tied for the longest run in school history.
BYU'S PURCELL EARNS ALL-AMERICAN STATUS
BYU's Jessica Purcell was named to the 2009 Easton Second-Team All-American list, in addition to Louisville Slugger and the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's All-America Third Team. The Walnut, Calif., native had a record-breaking sophomore campaign, finishing the season batting .392 with 83 RBI, breaking the BYU single season record set in 2006 by Ianeta Le'i. She also set the single-season grand slam record with three grand slams for a total of 17 home runs, 16 doubles and three triples for a .807 slugging percentage.
PRODUCTIVE FROSH AN ASSET FOR RAMS
Colorado State relied heavily on production from a number of underclassmen this season, including freshman first baseman Christine Thomsen and freshman center fielder Jenna Krogh, who started 47 and 50 games, respectively. Thomsen finished her freshman campaign leading the Rams with 31 RBI on the season. She also ranked second on the squad with a .368 batting average and third with an on-base percentage of .414. Krogh hit safely in 14 of the Rams' 15 conference games this season, earning a 17-game hitting streak overall. She led Colorado State with a .431 batting average and a .463 on-base percentage during the Conference schedule.
SENIORS LEAD LOBOS AT THE PLATE
New Mexico's lone seniors Samantha Hughes and Analise Rubalcava led the Lobos offensively throughout the 2009 season. Hughes ranked eighth on the league's hitting list with a .387 batting average and hit 17 doubles to rank seventh nationally. Rubalcava, who hit at a clip of .343 this season, also led UNM during conference play with a batting average of .391. The duo was named to the 2009 All-MWC Team, becoming the first pair of Lobos to be earn such distinction since 2006.
FLOROS A FACTOR FOR SAN DIEGO STATE
With San Diego State's at-large berth into the 2009 NCAA Tournament, catcher Erin Floros became the first Aztec in school history to play in three postseasons (2006, 2008, 2009). Earlier this season, she missed 14 games to a bout of appendicitis, and while she was sidelined, SDSU lost six games, including three at the Fifth Annual Mardi Gras Invitational in Lafayette, La. The Aztecs went 21-9 with her return, and Floros wrapped up her senior campaign leading the squad with four home runs and 30 RBI. She finished her career with 101 RBI, one shy of first on the school's all-time career RBI list. Her .993 fielding percentage is also the best in school history.
HULL, DE LA TORRE ETCH NAMES INTO UNLV RECORD BOOKS
Junior Jaci Hull is only the second player in UNLV history to record at least 50 RBI in a single season. She finished with 51 on the year, and was seven shy of the 58 RBI Kim Rondina collected in 1995. Fellow junior Alyssia De La Torre is only the second Rebel ever to record at least five doubles, five triples and five home runs in a single season. Senior Marissa Nichols accomplished the feat in her freshman campaign with 17 doubles, eight triples and 18 home runs in 2005.
UTES KNOCKED 'EM OUT OF THE PARK
Twelve different Utes connected for round-trippers this year to combine for a league-leading 58 total home runs, six shy of the school's single-season team mark set in 2004. Utah was led by Kara Foster, who tallied 18 homers on the season to rank eighth nationally. The junior has knocked out 53 home runs in her collegiate career to break the school record for career home runs, previously set by Melissa Stanhke, who tallied 49 homers from 2001-04.
2009 NCAA REGIONALS WRAP-UP
COLUMBUS REGIONAL May 14 (Thur.)
Game 1: No. 11 seed (#11/10) Ohio State def. Canisius, 3-2
Game 2: BYU def. Kentucky, 6-2 May 15 (Fri.)
Game 3: No. 11 seed (#11/10) Ohio State def. BYU, 5-4 (8 inn.)
Game 4: Kentucky def. Canisius, 7-0
Game 5: Kentucky def. BYU, 4-2 May 16 (Sat.)
Game 6: No. 11 seed (#11/10) Ohio State def. Kentucky, 7-2
BYU jumped ahead of Kentucky early and fended off the Wildcats for a 6-2 victory to begin play at the Columbus Regional. The pitching tandem of Christie Zinanti and Paige Affleck limited Kentucky to two runs off of six hits, while the Cougar offense totaled six runs off of nine hits. Angeline Quiocho led BYU, going 3-for-4 with two bunt singles, while Jessica Purcell and Andrea Ramirez each drove in two runs.
Despite almost knocking off NCAA Regional host and No. 11 Ohio State, BYU's season drew to a close with back-to-back losses in Day Two action. The Cougars ended the season with a 40-18 record after letting go of a 4-0 lead against Ohio State for a 5-4 eight-inning loss, and then falling 4-2 at the hands of Kentucky. On the year, BYU recorded its fifth-consecutive 40-win season, while also receiving its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament bid.
TEMPE REGIONAL May 15 (Fri.)
Game 1: #23/23 LSU def. Cal State Fullerton, 3-2
Game 2: No. 10 seed (#9/12) Arizona State def. SAN DIEGO STATE, 5-0 May 16 (Sat.)
Game 3: #23/23 LSU def. No. 10 seed (#9/12) Arizona State, 10-2
Game 4: Cal State Fullerton def. SAN DIEGO STATE, 8-2
Game 5: No. 10 seed (#9/12) Arizona State def. Cal State Fullerton, 7-0 May 17 (Sun.)
Game 6: No. 10 seed (#9/12) Arizona State def. #23/23 LSU, 6-4
Game 7: No. 10 seed (#9/12) Arizona State def. #23/23 LSU, 5-0
San Diego State dropped a 5-0 decision to defending-national champion and No. 9/12 Arizona State in its NCAA opener. The Aztecs had their chances at the plate, but collectively went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and 0-for-14 with runners on base. SDSU also left seven runners on base in a game that was broadcast live on ESPN.
The Aztecs were unable to match Cal State Fullerton's five home runs in Game 4 of the Tempe Regional, and were eliminated after an 8-2 loss to the Titans. Cal State Fullerton received a trio of two-run homers, and two solo home runs to account for all of its scores. San Diego State's pitching staff had surrendered just 11 home runs, including eight solo, over its previous 300 innings before the Titans struck for the five blasts. Prior to the contest, San Diego State had only allowed two home runs in four games this season.
LOS ANGELES REGIONAL May 15 (Fri.)
Game 1: RV/#25 Fresno State def. UNLV, 2-1
Game 2: No. 2 seed (#2/2) UCLA def. Long Beach State, 4-2 May 16 (Sat.)
Game 3: No. 2 seed (#2/2) UCLA def. RV/#25 Fresno State, 4-2
Game 4: Long Beach State def. UNLV, 3-1 (13 inn.)
Game 5: RV/#25 Fresno State def. Long Beach State, 12-2 May 17 (Sun.)
Game 6: No. 2 seed (#2/2) UCLA def. RV/#25 Fresno State, 9-5
UNLV's postseason came to a close with a four-hour long marathon against Long Beach State. All four of the game's runs came off home runs, with the 49ers ultimately hitting the game-winner in the 13th inning for the 3-1 victory. Both teams combined to leave 27 runners stranded in the contest. The Rebels left eight in scoring position, which included a bases-loaded situation in the 13th. LBSU had seven left behind, six of which were with the bases loaded.
In Game 1 of the Los Angeles Regional, UNLV lost to #25 Fresno State by a 2-1 margin. The Rebels struck first with a run in the second inning, but watched as the Bulldogs scored two unanswered the following two frames. The contest marked the first this season that UNLV had out-hit its opponent, but did not win, as the Rebels earned six and the Bulldogs five. UNLV finished 2009 with a 24-1 mark in contests it out-hit the opposition.
