1	2	3	4	5	6	7				R	H	E
William Patterson	0	0	0	0	0	1	0				1	6	2
Muskingum	0	0	1	0	1	1					3	5	4

Bend-but-don't-break approach works as Muskies drop William Patterson 3-1

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — The Muskingum fastpitch softball team went into its NCAA Division III National Championship opener against William Patterson with what appeared to be a rather interesting strategy — bend, but don't break.

The Lady Muskies bent, and bent, and bent — but they never broke.

Despite allowing the Pioneers at least one base runner on base in every inning but the seventh — including bases loaded in the first and second-and-third in the fifth — Muskingum made the most of its five hits and its six base runners, scoring single runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings en route to a 3-1 victory Thursday afternoon at Gelein Field.

After getting out of that first-inning, bases-loaded and one-out jam — and going down 1-2-3 in the first two innings — the Muskies got on the board in the third, as Carla Kampschmidt doubled to right field, scoring Erin Zupko. The Muskies made it 2-0 in the fifth as Megan Monsman scored on a two-out wild pitch. William Patterson (39-9), which stranded six runners through the first five innings, finally got on the board in the sixth, cutting the Muskies' lead to 2-1 on an RBI single by Kim Hall.

Muskingum, which advances to Friday's 6:30 p.m. winner's bracket game against the winner of Thursday's final game between Saint Mary's and Wheaton, then iced the game in the bottom of the sixth, getting an RBI single from Julie Ryan.

Dani Keiffer picked up the pitching win for the Muskies (44-6), tossing a complete-game six-hitter. Diane Naugle was the loser, despite a five-hit, seven-strikeout performance.

The Pioneers will face the loser of Thursday's final game in Friday's 1:30 p.m. loser's bracket game.