THE BASICS:

- Scores:
MIT - 5, No. 21 Susquehanna - 1
No. 16 Randolph-Macon College - 3, MIT - 1

- Records: MIT (32-18), Susquehanna (28-9), Randolph-Macon (34-9),

- Location: Ashland, Va. (Softball Field)

- The Lead: After not playing for two seasons and beginning the year 1-7, the MIT softball team put together an excellent 2022 campaign that ended on Sunday afternoon in the NCAA Softball Regional Championship game as the Engineers fell to Randolph-Macon 3-1. MIT rallied to defeat Susquehanna 5-1 earlier in the afternoon to earn the right to play in the championship game.
 
The Engineers finished the year with 32 wins, marking the third-straight season the team has won at least 30 games in a season. It is also the third-straight year the team has qualified for the NCAA Championship.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED vs. Susquehanna

- The River Hawks took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth on a two-out RBI double to left from Katie Koch. She then advanced to third on a wild pitch, but senior Anya Chase (Wells, Maine) got Nicole Plesh swinging to strand Koch.
 
- MIT's offense came to life in the fifth, as the Engineers plated five runs in the inning. First-year Kennedy Adkison (San Jose, Calif.) singled and plated Dana Bell (Bensalem, Pa.) to tie the game. First-year Mackenzie Bivin (San Diego, Calif.) then laced a two-run double down the left-field line to give MIT a 3-1 lead. First-year Mikayla Cable (Valrico, Calif.) followed with an RBI single, and sophomore Katia Pendowski (Elk Grove Village, Ill.) doubled home Cable to give MIT a four-run lead.
 
- The River Hawks got a lead-off single from Koch in the top of the seventh and got runners on first and second with two outs but Chase got Lexi Palumbo looking to end the game and send the Engineers to the championship game.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Chase notched her 17th win of the season as she pitched all seven innings and allowed just one run on four hits. She walked three and struck out five.
 
- Cable and Bell each recorded two hits in the game and Bivin led the team with two RBI.
 
- MIT outhit Susquehanna 8-4.

HOW IT HAPPENED vs. Randolph-Macon

- It was a pitcher's duel through the first 4.5 innings with neither team able to get a run across.
 
- The Yellow Jackets finally broke the scoreless with a three-run fifth inning to take the lead.
 
- MIT looked to respond with back-to-back singles in the sixth but the runners were left stranded.
 
- The Engineers were down to their final out before junior Jordan Sell (Schwenksville, Pa.) doubled to left to keep the season alive. Adkison followed with a double to left to plate Sell. Chase then singled to bring the go-ahead run to the plate for MIT, but the Yellow Jackets got the final out to punch their ticket to the Super Regional.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Adkison, Chase, and Sell were named to the all-tournament team.
 
- Sell led the way for MIT as she was 3-3 with a run scored. Adkison and Chase notched two hits each in the game.
 
- First-year Becca O'Connor (San Antonio, Texas) pitched five innings and gave up three runs on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Chase pitched the final inning and gave up just one hit.
 
- Chase finished the year with 153 strikeouts which are third-most all-time in program history.
 
- The team stole 77 bases this year which is three shy of the program record. They also set a program record with 76 doubles this season.  
 
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