Thu - 16 May
Written by Metro Sports Report
GLENDIVE, Mont. - The Kirkwood softball team has been living dangerously in postseason tournaments this year, but so far the Eagles are still alive and kicking.
The seventh-ranked Eagles rallied to split two games with 18th-ranked Dawson on Wednesday and will face the Bucs again on Thursday in the championship game of the district tournament in Montana.
Kirkwood (49-15) and Dawson (43-4) will tangle on Dawson's home field Thursday at 1 p.m., with the winner claiming a spot in the NJCAA Division II national championships.
Dawson blanked the Eagles, 1-0, in the first game Wednesday in the best-of-3 district tournament. The Bucs then held a 3-2 lead over the Eagles after three innings of the second game, putting Kirkwood on the verge of elimination, but Kirkwood's bats came alive and the Eagles soared to a 12-3 victory to force Game 3.
Kirkwood also had to rally in the regional tournament against NIACC last weekend after losing to NIACC in the winners bracket final, then whipping NIACC twice in the championship round.
Dawson scored in the top of the first inning of the first game Wednesday for a 1-0 lead, and that turned out to be all the scoring in the ballgame as Kirkwood collected only five hits. Kirkwood pitcher Erin Hocker, playing in her home state of Wyoming, allowed one run on seven hits and was the tough-luck loser.
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