Fontbonne Softball Draws No. 5 Belhaven To Open NCAA Regionals

ST. LOUIS, Mo.—The Fontbonne University softball team are headed back to NCAA Regionals for the first time since 2015 after claiming the SLIAC Tournament Championship on Saturday.

Today, the Griffins found out they'll be traveling down south to regional host No. 8 ranked East Texas Baptist. There, the Griffins face No. 5 ranked Belhaven on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. East Texas Baptist draws No. 7 Linfield in its opener.

Fontbonne earned its spot at Regionals after going 3-0 at the SLIAC Tournament defeating Greenville 9-3, Spalding 7-1, and Greenville once more in the championship, 6-4.

On the year, the Griffins ended with a .329 clip led by SLIAC Second Team All-Conference selectee, Lexi Becker. The senior batted .384, totaling 43 hits, 28 runs scored, and 21 RBI.

Lilly Jones and Allysa Ibarra, who both were named to the SLIC Third Team, hit .369 and .352, respectively. Hannah Miener brought the pop having a .330 average, a team-high five homers, and 31 RBI.

Inside the circle, the staff compiled a 4.12 ERA led by freshman Hailey Kutz who was also named to the Third Team after having a 3.06 ERA in 68.2 innings pitched and struck out a team-high 68 batters.

Michaela Mason finished with a 3.66 ERA in 44.0 innings pitched, while Sam Foppe finished 5-2 on the year with a 3.98 ERA.

A Look At No. 5 Belhaven

• Belhaven won the American Southwest Conference Tournament defeating East Texas Baptist in the championship, 2-0.
• Belhaven finished wit ha .324 average led by Ellie Jones with a .409 average, seven homers, and 43 RBI.
• Allie Gordon will be another player to look out for hitting .404, totaling a team-high nine homers, and 45 RBI.
• The pitching staff compiled a 1.44 ERA
• Kennedy Carruth leads with a 23-3 record, 210 strikeouts, and a 1.01 ERA.

A Look AT No. 7 Linfield

• Linfield finished the regular season 36-7 overall and won the Northwest Conference Tournament 4-3 over Pacific Lutheran.
• The offense is batting .352 led by Baily Paul's .427 verge, 56 hits, and 32 RBI.
• Katie Phillips is the final player hitting over .400 having a .409 average, a team-high 65 hits, and 42 RBI. She also leads with 19 doubles.
• The staff has a 2.21 ERA led by Tayah Kelley with a 1.36 ERA in 160.0 innings pitched. She leads with 237 strikeouts.

A Look At No. 8 East Texas Baptist

• East Texas Baptist finished the year 32-10 overall and 24-6 in conference play.
• The offense has a .342 average led by Courtney White with a .440 average, totaling two homers and 25 RBI.
• Tristen Maddox has a .401 clip and is tied with Tauryn Cummings with eight homers.
• Delanie Loya has a .365 average and leads with 45 RBI.
• The pitching staff has a 2.12 ERA in 274.1 innings pitched.
• Kathryn Reed has a 1.57 ERA in 93.2 innings pitched and struck out a team-high 90 hitters.

About Fontbonne University

Fontbonne University is a private, Catholic liberal arts university located in St. Louis, committed to a transformative education and inspiring students to become global citizens who think critically, act ethically, and serve responsibly. The university, founded in 1923, is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. For more information, visit www.fontbonne.edu.

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