Full Results

JOLIET, Ill. – The Harper College softball team bowed out of the 2016 NJCAA Region IV Division III softball tournament on Friday afternoon at Joliet Junior College. After losing to the No. 1 team in the nation, Rock Valley College, in their opening game, the Hawks narrowly lost to Joliet Junior College in an elimination game, ending their season.

Game 1 (Friday, 12 PM)-Rock Valley College 13, Harper College 0

The Hawks had a tough time containing the potent Golden Eagle offense in a 13-0 defeat. Rock Valley scored twice in the first and four times in the second, highlighted by a Dakota Watson home run. In the fourth inning, the Golden Eagles sent 12 batters to the plate and scored seven runs. Pitcher Olivia Fluehr hit a grand slam in that inning and also pitched five scoreless innings, striking out eight Hawks.

Harper managed three hits in the game, led by a 2-for-2 effort from sophomore Emily Butler (Prospect Heights, Ill./Hersey). Leadoff hitter Courtney Russ (Lake Zurich, Ill. /Lake Zurich) was 1-for-2 with a double and a walk.

Game 2 (Friday, 1:35 PM)-Joliet Junior College 4, Harper College 3

Harper and Joliet Junior College (JJC) played a tightly-contested game to determine which team would be going home. Trailing 4-1 heading into the seventh inning, the Hawks nearly pulled off a comeback but lost 4-3.

Harper got a pair of hits from Nicole Soderholm (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove) and Russ in the seventh inning. After Sandra Portogallo (Elk Grove Village, Ill. /Conant) was retired by Stacey Stanton for the second out, the Hawks were down to their final out with their best hitter Jordan Dallmann (Roselle, Ill. /Lake Park) coming up to bat. Dallmann socked a triple to the right-center field gap, plating both Soderholm and Russ, to cut the deficit to 4-3 and put the tying run just 60 feet from home plate and bring the dangerous bat of Isabelle McGuinnis (Arlington Heights, Ill. /Hersey) to the plate.

However, McGuinnis, who already had two hits in the game, was retired by JJC pitcher Stacey Stanton to end the game.  McGuinnis also pitched well after Joliet scored three runs in the first. She went all seven innings and gave up eight hits, four runs, and one walk.

Region IV Tournament Recap

Rock Valley and College of DuPage (COD) played the final game on Friday afternoon, a game won in dramatic fashion, 6-5, by Rock Valley. On Saturday morning, COD bested Joliet, 11-3, to advance to the Region IV Championship against Rock Valley.

The Golden Eagles (45-9) defeated the Chaparrals, 8-3, to win the Region IV Championship and advance to the national tournament for a fourth consecutive season.