Kirkwood Softball

Kirkwood softball gets No. 3 seed

The Kirkwood Eagles have drawn the No. 3 seed for the NJCAA Division II national softball tournament this week in Clinton, Miss.

Kirkwood (45-8) will face Mercyhurst North East of Pennsylvania (28-11) in the first round of the 16-team tournament Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. Mercyhurst is seeded No. 14.

The double-elimination tournament will continue through Saturday.

NJCAA SEEDING

1. Phoenix (51-10), 2. Mississippi Gulf Coast (45-11), 3. Kirkwood (45-8), 4. DMACC (48-8), 5. East Central (42-12), 6. Illinois Central (34-17), 7. Lincoln Land (43-12), 8. Kankakee (40-6), 9. Labette (35-14), 10. Sauk Valley (44-8), 11. Johnson County (34-13), 12. Macomb (38-8), 13. Surry (31-11), 14. Mercyhurst North East (28-11), 15. Owens (31-16), 16. Potomac State (28-11).

No. 6 Eagles roll into national tourney

The Kirkwood softball team is so good and so talented that Natalie Clark, an All-American for the Eagles last year, is only a part-time starter this season.

That's one of the many reasons the sixth-ranked Eagles are heading to the NJCAA Division II national tournament after destroying North Platte (Neb.) in the district tournament Friday at Kirkwood, 8-0 and 18-1, in two lopsided contests.

Kirkwood (45-8) advances to the 16-team national meet in Clinton, Miss., from May 13-16.

Clark has graciously accepted her role as a super-sub this season, an important intangible for a club that oozes talent.

"She's done great," said Coach Joe Yegge. "She knows she's struggled a little bit offensively, and that's why she's come out of the lineup with the way we've been hitting.

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No. 8 Eagles roll to regional title

The Kirkwood Eagles have such a good-hitting team that Lexi Quandt hit ninth in the batting order Monday in the regional finals with a .347 average.

On most teams, she'd hit in the middle of the order.

Five Eagles were hitting above .400. Chasney Jenkins was well over .500. As a team, the club was hitting .410 when the day began. They lead the nation with 109 home runs (a school record) and are averaging more than 10 runs per game.

"We were saying in the dugout before the game that we would hate to be on any other team besides Kirkwood," said third baseman Alicia Crivaro. "This is the best junior college in the conference and I can't imagine playing for another team, just because of our competitiveness.

"I would be scared if I were on the other team," she said.

The eighth-ranked Eagles left Southwestern quaking in their spikes, 17-3, in the lopsided championship game of the regional tournament at Kirkwood Monday.

Kirkwood (43-8) will host North Platte (Neb.) in the district playoffs this Friday at 2 p.m. in a best 2-of-3 series, with the winner advancing to the national tournament.

"We're clicking," said Coach Joe Yegge. "We just have to stay hungry."

Lexie Biehl belted two home runs and drove in six runs Monday, giving her 25 homers and 79 RBIs. Crivaro socked her 12th home run, a three-run blast in the fourth inning.

The Eagles are so good that Natalie Clark, an All-American last year, began Monday's game on the bench. She contributed to the onslaught with a two-run homer as a pinch-hitter.

Thirteen different Eagles have walloped a home run this year. Biehl ranks second in the country with her 25.

"It's just nice that every one of them can do it," said Yegge. "It's pretty awesome to see the power we have this year. And I didn't think we had any."

Jenkins led off Monday with a .538 batting average. She was followed by Biehl (.449), Brooke Prior (.493), Jasmine Ragusi (.455), Tara Walls (.401), Crivaro (.370), Erin Weno (.370), Riley Ogden (.350) and Quandt (.347).

Prior has 18 homers. Crivaro has 12 now. Jenkins and Ragusi have connected nine times. Clark has seven homers and she's only a part-time starter now. Walls has six homers. Quandt, Ogden and Weno have five.

Pick your poison.

Want some speed? Jenkins is 64-for-64 in stolen bases, a school record and second in the nation.

It's been a special team and now the Eagles are two victories away from making the national tournament.

"It's been a blast," said Ragusi, a strong catcher who is batting fourth in the lineup as a freshman. "I love these girls. It's a family. I don't want to see it end."

Nicky Simpson (18-5) got the victory Monday. She and Prior (13-0) have ERAs under 2.00, giving Kirkwood a solid 1-2 punch in the circle to complement their fabulous hitting and excellent defense.

No. 8 Eagles near regional title

The Kirkwood Eagles cruised to a pair of easy victories in the regional softball tournament Sunday and need only more victory to capture the regional title.

The eighth-ranked Eagles defeated Ellsworth, 10-0, and stopped Southwestern, 10-2, on the opening day of the tournament at Kirkwood.

Kirkwood (42-8) will face Southwestern (26-18) again at 2 p.m. on Monday in the championship round. If the Eagles win that game, they'll take the regional title. If the Eagles lose that game, the two teams will play again at 4 p.m. for the title in the double-elimination tournament.

Chasney Jenkins belted her eighth home run of the season and drove in three runs for Kirkwood against Ellsworth. Brooke Prior was 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBIs. Alicia Crivaro also drove in two runs. Prior (12-0) pitched a two-hitter with seven strikeouts for the victory.

Crivaro went 3-for-4 against Southwestern. Jenkins, Tara Walls, Jasmine Ragusi and Erin Weno had two hits. Walls had three RBIs and Riley Ogden had two RBIs. Nicky Simpson (17-5) was the winning pitcher.