NDSCS Softball Wins First National Championship in Program and School History

Dewitt, NY - Saturday, May 27th, NDSCS Softball Brought home not only the first National Championship Title in program history, but the first National Championship Title in school history! NDSCS played six games in four days and had an amazing six run inning in the bottom of 7th of the title game to claim the championship and what many will argue was the best comeback in college softball history!

First & Second Round Games: Wednesday, May 24 Box Score, Box Score - The Wildcats headed into the NJCAA DIII Softball World Series in Dewitt, NY as the No.1 seed to open play against the No. 8 seed, the Itasca Vikings, on Wednesday May, 24th in the first round. The Cats handled the Vikings 5-3 to advance to the second round later that same day. NDSCS also took care of the Herkimer Generals in Round two with a final score of 8-4 to secure their spot in the Semifinals on Thursday.

Winners Bracket Semi Final Game: Thursday, May 25 Box Score - Thursday saw the No.1 seed NDSCS face the No. 2 seed Corning in the semifinal game. Corning scored an early run in the first inning, but more scoring wasn't seen by either team until the sixth. Five runs were scored in the sixth; three scored by Corning and two by Cats Amanda Hiner and Karissa Comer. With a final score of 3-2 it just wasn't enough and relegated the Wildcats to the elimination bracket which meant they'd have to win Friday to earn their way back to the title game.

Elimination Bracket Semi Final Game: Friday, May 26 Box Score - Friday's game, an opportunity to earn their way back to the championship match up, saw the Cats face the Herkimer Generals once again. On Day three and game six the Cats were as hungry as ever to make it to Saturday and beat the Generals 8-5 in an extra inning.

National Championship Games: Saturday May 27: Game 1- Box Score, Game 2 - Box Score - The NJCAA DIII Softball World Series Championship is a double elimination bracket which meant the Wildcats were one behind the Corning Red Barons to start the day. The Cats' bats were back in full force, winning the first game 11-4, with five runs scored by Shai Pachel (3) and Karissa Comer (2), and a homerun hit from Amanda Hiner.

The Wildcats and the Red Barons are all tied up now, this final game would determine the 2023 National Champion. Already two and a half hours deep into championship play NDSCS had clawed their way back to the top with unparalleled grit and determination. Katelyn Strauss, the All-American and two time conference MVP, had already pitched 32 of 35 tournament innings, totalling 550 pitches in four days heading into the win or go home game. Strauss gave it her all for the first three innings, but having helped carry the Cats to this point in the tournament already, her arm was starting to falter. Strauss and Head Coach Mike Oehlke met and put full faith into pitcher Ashley Bisping to bring the Cats through the finish line. The Red Barons opened 3-0 in the first inning, but the Cats continued to stay within striking distance keeping the score 9-7 by the bottom of the sixth.

Down to the final inning, the Red Barons came out strong with a single to left field to score, followed by a homerun to bring in two more. The score was now 12-7 and looked like an impossible five run deficit for NDSCS to overcome in a single inning. Bottom of the seventh and only three outs away from declaring a National Champion, NDSCS fans across the country knew this would be a herculean task, nothing short of a miracle to come back from. Corning gets a quick first out from Yaya Dolezal, really putting the pressure on the Cats. In the batters box next Riley Tappy singles to left field, and the Cats have a runner on first. Lefty Grace Foster up next in the line up hits one right up the middle of center field to advance Tappy to second and get on base herself. Two runners on base and one out in the bottom of the seventh, we're back to the top of the NDSCS lineup with Shai Pachel. Pachel gets a hit to left field and makes it to first base, but Corning gets the second out of the inning at third, sending Tappy back to the dugout. NDSCS has runners on first and second with two outs down 12-7; a seemingly impossible task. Amanda Hiner, up to bat now, hits a triple over the head of the Corning right fielder, sending both Foster and Pachel home. The score is now 12-9. Avery Martin, a powerhouse freshman for the Wildcats this season, gets a hit up center field to send Hiner home and put runners on first and third. 

Five hours into championship play and ball four sends Brianna Switzler to first and puts tying runs on the base paths. Continued fatigue or lack of focus from the Corning pitcher sees her hit Comer with a pitch, loading the bases for the Wildcats. The Cats are one well placed hit away from winning the National Championship. TK Landes, the second best power hitter in the Nation, steps up to bat. Bases are loaded, bottom of the seventh, two outs, and the count is 2-2 when Landes hits one to right field and brings home Martin off an error by the second baseman. The bases are still loaded and the Cats are one run away from tying the game. Dolezal, who picked up the first out of the inning, is back up in the lineup. Bases loaded, two outs, two strikes, Dolezal launches it all the way out to the center fielder to bring in Comer for the tying run and pinch runner Tarin Thomas for the winning run!! NDSCS is the NJCAA DIII Softball National Champion!

A team with unfinished business does the impossible to bring home the first ever program and school National Title for NDSCS in the greatest comeback in college softball history! Go Cats!

Front Row L-R: Takiah"TK" Landes, Train Thomas, Amanda Hiner, Shai Pachel, Riley Tappy, Avery Martin, Katelyn Strauss. Back Row L-R: Student Assistant - Trevor Etcitty, Assistant Coach - Matt Fellows, Lara "Yaya" Doleezal, Ashley Bisping, Lily Reed, Manny Diarra, Grace Foster, Karissa Comer, Brianna Switzler, Student Assistant - Ellie Miller, Head Coach - Mike Oehlke, and not pictured - Madi Fahy.

Click HERE to see pictures of their historic run!