Transy Earns Softball Title and Right to Host HCAC Tournament

LEXINGTON , KY - The 2009 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference softball tournament will take place this weekend at Transylvania University . The host Pioneers earned the regular season championship after earning a split with second place Bluffton last Sunday. Defiance and Anderson will join Transylvania and Bluffton in Lexington this weekend.

The host Pioneers (25-10, 13-3 HCAC) will look to capture their first trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament since 2006. Transy held a 4-2 record against the competition they will face this weekend. Transy led the HCAC in pitching ERA this season and will look to continue their dominance on the mound against the top talent in the conference. Transy has won seven of its last eight contests heading into tournament play.

The pitching staff has been the anchor for the Pioneers this season and has been led by the efforts of sophomore Kendra DeArk (Jeffersonville, Ind. /H.S.) . The sophomore holds a 12-5 record and a 0.78 ERA, ranking her 10 th nationally. Sophomore Olivia Wall (El Campo, Tex. /H.S.) has tallied a 9-2 mark with seven complete games, 66 strikeouts, and a 1.76 ERA to join DeArk among the conference's elite. Offensively for Transy, senior Jessica Broadhead (Boonville, Ind. /H.S.) leads the team with 49 hits, 26 runs scored, 21 RBI, 11 doubles, and a .402 average.

Bluffton (29-11, 12-4 HCAC) dropped a heartbreaker to the Pioneers on the final day of the regular season schedule, costing the Beavers a chance at the conference championship. BU earned a split with all three teams in the tournament field. Bluffton has posted some solid offensive numbers all season long and has been led by senior Lindsey Miller (Wapakoneta, Ohio /H.S.) at the plate. The senior currently leads the conference in batting average (.475), on-base percentage (.522), hits (58), and RBI (45). Junior pitcher Brooke Babcock (Findlay, Ohio /H.S.) has been efficient at the plate and on the mound for the Beavers. Babcock has 31 RBI for BU this spring and also ranks among the conference leaders in ERA (1.83), opposing batting average (.208), innings pitched (126.1), strikeouts (132), and pitching victories (14).

Defiance (25-14, 12-4 HCAC) enters the 2009 tournament as the defending conference tournament champions from a year ago. The Jackets enter the tournament with a 3-3 mark against the competition. Senior Melanie Bushman (Harrison, Ohio /William Henry) leads the team at the plate, batting .350 with 33 RBI this spring. Sophomore Mallory Faling (Clark Lake, Mich. / Columbia Central) ranks second on the squad with a .303 average and has added 24 RBI and four home runs. The DC pitching staff has been led by senior Justine Johnston (Wauseon, Ohio /H.S.) . The ace has posted a 14-9 record with a 2.17 ERA this season and has pitched a conference-high 145.0 innings.

Anderson (23-15, 10-6 HCAC) will look to improve upon their 2-4 record against the HCAC tournament field when the tournament gets underway this weekend. The Ravens offense has been led by junior Chelsie Haines (Knightstown, Ind. /H.S.) and Julia Siefring (Celina, Ohio /H.S.) this season. Haines leads the conference in slugging percentage (.832) and home runs (11), while pacing the Ravens with 35 RBI and a .436 average at the plate. Siefring has added 28 RBI, eight home runs, and a .340 average for AU. Freshman pitcher Monica Crowe (Muncie, Ind./Wes-Del) has anchored the Anderson pitching staff with an 11-4 record. Crowe holds a 2.26 ERA, 113 strikeouts, and seven complete games in 90 innings of work.

Action will get underway from Transylvania at 10:00 AM Friday morning as the host Pioneers face No. 4 seed Anderson . Bluffton and Defiance will tangle at 12:00 PM in the second opening round game.