Berth in SMU's 1st national tournament
worth the wait for senior Angie Wright

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — She’s experienced the thrill and excitement of a first-ever regional playoff appearance.

She’s experienced the disappointment of an early post-season exit.

And she’s experienced the heartache of falling one game short of a national tournament appearance.

Now, Angie Wright has experienced what it feels like to be a regional champion.

Thanks in part of Wright’s two-out, two-run triple in the third inning, the Saint Mary’s University fastpitch softball team completed a perfect run through the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional, beating Coe 4-3 in the championship game Sunday to earn the school’s first-ever national tournament appearance.

“It’s absolute euphoria,” said Wright, the only member of this year’s Cardinal team to have played in all four regional tournaments. “The first year, it was so new, so neat just to have made it. The second year, we came (to the regional) with much higher expectations and didn’t play very well. And last year, we came so close … .”

Now that the Cardinals have finally earned that elusive regional title, Wright isn’t ready to script any kind of ending to this year’s season.

But rest assured, it most certainly will be a happy one.

“Everyone’s pretty pumped right now, but we also know that our work isn’t done,” said Wright. “Beating Coe and winning the regional is … it’s hard to put into words. Everyone’s worked so hard to get to this point — It’s such a great feeling.”

A feeling SMU coach John Tschida allowed his team to savor.

“We try not to get too high after a win or too low after a loss,” explained Tschida, whose team goes about playing the game of fastpitch in a very business-like manner. “But when you win a regional championship and get a chance to play for a national championship, you’ve got to savor the moment.”

And then get back to work.

“How am I feeling? I’m already thinking about our next game,” said Tschida. “The ladies have worked so hard to get to this point, but we aren’t satisfied yet. We’ve still got work to do.”

• ALL-TOURNAMENT: Saint Mary’s played dominated the all-tournament team, as pitcher Teisha Smith (1.33 ERA, 21 IP, 4 earned runs), first baseman Jill Hocking (.625 BA, one home run, 2 RBIs, 2 runs scored, one stolen base), third baseman Gina Rizzardi (5 putouts, 13 assists, game-winning RBI vs. Coe), catcher Jennifer Miller (13 putouts, 2 assists, 2 runners thrown out trying to steal) and Angie Wright (.286 BA, 2 RBIs, one triple, one run scored) were all named to the team.

•IN THE CLUTCH: Of their 20 hits in the three regional games, only two were for extra bases. But those two both came in the championship game against Coe and accounted for three of the Cardinals’ four runs. Angie Wright laced a two-run triple in the third inning and Jill Hocking drilled a solo home run in the top of the fifth. … Five of the Cardinals’ 12 runs — including all four in the regional title-clinching win over Coe — were scored with two outs.

“If you are going to be a successful team, you’ve got to come up with big hits in the clutch,” said Tschida. “We’ve got people up and down our lineup who are capable of getting you the big hits. Jill and Angie have been doing it all year, but just as important was the one by Gina (Rizzardi, a two-out single that scored Niki Lynch with SMU’s third run). Gina’s really been coming on the last several weeks. She’s been outstanding in the field, and she’s really given us an added spark offensively.

• GOING THE DISTANCE: SMU senior Teisha Smith pitched all 21 innings for the Cardinals, allowing just four earned runs, while walking three and striking out 11.

“When you get into the post-season, you aren’t going to win without your best, and Teisha’s at her best in when the game’s on the line,” said Tschida of his senior pitcher. “But just as important as her velocity and ability to hit her spots is her leadership on and off the field.”

• THIS AND THAT: Jill Hocking’s fourth-inning home run against Coe was her school-record 13th of the season. She had set the school record a year ago with six. … Hocking’s 57 RBIs, 21 doubles and 115 total bases are also school records. … The Cardinals have now won 12 straight and 23 of their last 24. … SMU coach John Tschida now has 203 career collegiate coaching victories. … The Cardinals are now a perfect 3-0 against Coe ace pitcher Paige Stamp, who lost twice to the Cardinals during the 1997 season.