Welcome to cloudy Allendale in the elimination game between Quincy and Tiffin. The loser is done and the winner faces Lewis in the third game here today as Grand Valley State beat Lewis in the first game here, 8-3.

Amber Young, 14-4, toes the circle against Quincy's Torie Brunzel. Brunzel has a 0.96 ERA, but she is 29-12, which shows lack of run support. If Tiffin can put a few on the board early, that would bode well for the Dragons.

Let's Play Ball!

Not a good sign in the early going. The umpire has a really tight zone. But if Quincy has a junk pitcher like the thinking is, if Tiffin is patient, the Dragons could tee off. If you are wondering, the wind is steady flying from right to left.

One down, Quincy has a runner at second. From 1-2 to full on Erin Gregory, the third Quincy batter of the inning.She goes down swinging and now it is up to Emily Shaw to start something.

Samantha O'Brien just hits her first home run of the year to put Quincy up 1-0.

On the first pitch, Whitney Kroeger nails a ball to left, but the wind knocked it down and Emily Shaw had time to pick it up for the catch. Now a liner to Tiffany Smith at first puts two down with Carla Passini up.

And the coaches endearing themselves early with the home plate ump as he called the first pitch a strike on the swing and did not ask for help. But Bunzell throws three not even close, so can the little pause disrupt the rhythm? After a foul ball, she walks.

Young delivers her second of the inning and now two on for the clean-up hitter, Monica Gray. Young finds it to strikeout the fourth and fifth hitters for Quincy. A little trouble, but Young sends it to the bottom of the first scoreless with Bobo leading things off.

A SAC bunt attempt goes for naught and now a caught stealing. Tiffin trying to manufacture its first run and it is not working. Amanda Temple strikeouts to end the first and it is scoreless after one.

Something has to give as both teams looking for its first run of the NCAA tournament.

Ashley Roscetti leads off the second with a single and is pinch ran for. Then a dropped ball at second at a bunt attempt. But a popped up bunt was not caught, but a head's up play by Young gets the pinch runner third and then Lesy Herbert fired down to second and got Quincy napping. Both teams failing to execute early. Strikeout ends the threat. The error goes to naught for the Hawks.

And the scorer is ready to throw the computer threw the window (and I do not blame him).

Now with no outs in the second, a walk and a single through the right side by Mindy Meredith puts two on with no outs. Meredith might have advanced the runner if the 1B came up with it, but she broke for the bag with the runner at first moving to second.

Now Meagan Baird. She strikes out swinging and the ump refusing to ask for help on the check swings.

A pair of strike outs looks like it might end the threat, but remember, the nine hitter for Lewis was the hero. However, Melodi Murrieta strikeouts and Bunzell strikeouts the side after the first two reach.

Well, Young has put the first two on the first two frames (the second not being her fault), but she gets a foul out to begin the third. See if she can build off that momentum with the Hawks second hitter, Lauren Francis up. Now she is going foul ball crazy, 1-2 count with one out, top third.

And a scorcher to center, hit right on the screws for Quincy, only goes for a single for Erin Gregory because it was to dead center and so sharply hit. Good job by Quincy fouling off pitches with two strikes and staying alive. Monica Gray, the cleanup hitter up. Interesting, Gray is the four-hole hitter, yet only has two home runs. The batter before: 5. After? 6... She goes down looking and we go to the bottom of the third with the top of the lineup due up for TU. Emily Shaw needs to reach and start something.

And Tiffin not being able to execute was aided by Quincy. With one out, Bobo legs out an infield hit to second and advances to third on a wild pitch. Lauren Mazzuca struck out, but there still is a runner in scoring position with Amanda Temple up.

Temple got the count full, but a a foul flyout just short of the fence keeps the game scoreless into the fourth.

Bid for the game's first 1-2-3 inning goes by the wayside. Tiffany Brakeville is now up. In the first game at Saginaw, a granny makes it 4-1 Saginaw Valley in the bottom of the sixth. Wow. A strikeout looking sends it to the bottom of the fourth.

The leadoff hitter reaches, but nothing doing after that. We are going to the fifth with zeros around.

And a leadoff home run give Quincy the 1-0 lead with Melodi Murrieta leading off. Let us see if the bottom of the lineup can get something going. Nope, Jessie Creakbaum is pinch-hitting.

Shaw gets the hit, and now Stephanie Bobotas is up, but she pops the bunt foul and a nice running catch by the third baseman puts two down for Mazzuca.

A two out walk and a bases clearing double by Amanda Temple. Better to be good than lucky. The winds are swirling and the ball fell to the ground in left, left center and Tiffin claws back to take a 2-1 lead!

Scorer's nightmare on that call. You can have an argument either way, but it goes as a hit. Tiffin lead 2-1 after five. Let's see if that wakes up the offense. A solo home run opened the floodgates for Tiffin at the GLIAC tournament against Hilldale, and the Dragons went on to score18 runs in four games, so should be interesting.

Sometimes, the wind just blows your way.

Not a good start to the top of the sixth. A lead off walk leads to the tying run on.

A bunt goes for a hit, and she seemingly was out of the batter's box, but the ump AGAIN refuses to ask for help on a close call. TU gets a pop out, but a double to dead center ties the game.

Mindy Meredith in with two runners in scoring position and one out. Umpire goes with a very small zone. What is with umps getting tight in late innings. Arguably, the girl with the game-winning hit in the seventh for Lewis should have been out on strikes. A sacrifice fly puts Quincy in the lead.

A strikeout ends the threat, but the offense has to start back up for the Dragons. The one-run lead seemed like it would not be enough.

And a two-out walk sends Tiffin to the seventh down 3-2.

And it is a little bit too late, but Tiffin throws a perfect inning in the top of the seventh. Emily Shaw leads it off in the bottom of the seventh and then it is the top.

Well, Quincy throws up a scoreless bottom of the seventh and the game is over. Tiffin now has two-straight appearances in the NCAA. No consolation, but a young ballclub that is getting valuable experience. It is painful, but TU will be back with another year under their belt.

39-14 is a good season.