| Rachel Johnson pitched
Salisbury to a game on Monday. delmarvanow.com photo by Ryan Coleman |
Rachel Johnson overcome a shaky start to finish strong as she lef the Salisbury Sea Guls to a 3-1 win over Montclair State in the 2013 NCAA D-III Softball Championship.
Johnson had 11-of-18 pitches go for balls and was charged with a illegal pitch in the first inning but got stronger as the game progressed, finishing by striking out three of the final six batters she faced.
"It is crunch time and your going with your ace," siad Salisbury head coach Margie Knight. "Rachel is one of the reasons we are here and we will ride her as long as we can."
All the scoring was in the third inning. Salisbury opened with a single by Angelia McDowell. A wild pitch and a Harley Hill single got Salisbury the first run of the game. A walk to Michelle Gravdahl put two runners on. After a groundout, Paige Knussman lined a single to score Gravdahl and Hill.
Montclair countered with a run of their own. Katie Muglia singled and moved to second on a Sea Gull error. Two batters later, Alex Hill plated Muglia with a safety.
Salisbury (41-3) moves on to face Texas-Tyler in the late game today. Montclair State sees their season come to an end with a 46-5 record.