Written by Josh Garcia
BVU Sports Information Student Intern

STORM LAKE, Iowa (May 9, 2022) - The Buena Vista softball team will be back in action in the regional round of the NCAA DIII softball championship tournament. After receiving an at-large berth from the selection committee, the Beavers will be matched up against WashU in the first game of the double elimination round. The matchup will take place in St. Paul, Minnesota, with Bethel University serving as host.

REGIONAL ROUND SCHEDULE
Friday, May 13
Game 1 - No. 2 Buena Vista (H) vs. No. 3 WashU (A) @ 2:00 p.m.  | Live Video  |  Live Stats
Game 2 -No. 1 Bethel (H) vs. No. 4 Bethany Lutheran (A) @ 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 14
Game 3 - Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner @ 12:00 p.m.
Game 4 - Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser @ 2:30 p.m.
Game 5 -Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 winner @ 4:30 p.m.
Game 6 - Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner @ 12:00 p.m.
Game 7 (if necessary) - Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner @ 2:30 p.m.

Regional winner will advance to the super regional round.


BUENA VISTA
The Beavers enter regionals as the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) regular season champion. They dropped their last game 4-0 against Wartburg in the A-R-C tournament semi-finals. The BVU lineup ranked fourth in the A-R-C with 210 runs scored while hitting .303. The lineup boasts two top-10 hitters in Carlee Guyett and Nataliah Murillo. Guyett hit .426 with 55 hits, 16 doubles, 2 triples, a homerun, 17 RBI, 36 runs scored, and 7 stolen bases. Murillo hit .392 with 49 hits, 8 doubles, a triple, 6 homeruns, 33 RBI, 14 runs, and 2 stolen bases. Chloe Wells was also a big threat at the plate, hitting .376 with 47 hits, 14 doubles, 3 triples, 4 homeruns, 34 RBI, 33 runs, and 8 stolen bases.

The pitching staff ranked fourth in the A-R-C with an ERA of 2.84. Ashtyn Miller and Peyton Gross made up a formidable 1-2 punch for the Beavers. Miller went 12-6 with an ERA of 2.33 while striking out 118 in 117.0 innings of work. Gross went 10-6 with an ERA of 3.14 while striking out 103 in 116.0 innings of work. Kennedi Claycomb provided valuable innings for the Beavers, going 4-1 with an ERA of 4.01 while striking out 18 in 36.2 innings of work.
 
Defensively, the Beavers have a fielding percentage of .935. Catcher Rylee Cain provides the defense with a strong arm behind the plate, already ranking top 10 all-time in Beavers history for most caught stealing while still in her sophomore campaign.

ABOUT WASHU
WashU enters regionals 30-10 overall and 14-6 in the University Athletic Association (UAA). With a win in their regular season finale, the Bears recorded their first 30-win season since 2016. Their offense ranked first among UAA teams with 260 runs scored. Batting .346 as a team, they excelled at putting the ball in play, striking out in just under 13% of their at bats. The team's leading hitter was Maggie Baumstark. The freshman outfielder hit .379 with 5 homeruns, 37 RBI, 42 runs, and 12 stolen bases in 40 games. As a pitching staff, the Bears recorded a 1.75 ERA. They were a tough team to take deep, allowing only nine homeruns. The staff was headlined by Madison Denton. The senior pitcher went 11-2 while recording a 1.25 ERA in 67.1 innings of work.

ABOUT BETHANY LUTHERAN
Bethany Lutheran enters 29-14 overall and 16-5 in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC). The Vikings are fresh off winning the UMAC tournament. They will boast an offense that finished second in the conference with 286 runs scored. The lineup reaches bases at a high rate, recording an on base percentage of .410. Once on base, the Vikings can cause some havoc having stolen 118 bases in 132 attempts. The Vikings leading hitter was Kaija Mork. The 2022 UMAC Rookie of the year hit .431 with 16 doubles, 3 triples, 4 homeruns, 46 RBI, 37 RBI, and 10 stolen bases (12 attempts). As a pitching staff the Vikings ranked second in the UMAC with a 3.08 ERA. The staff was led by Kayla Senne. The freshman pitcher recorded a 2.54 ERA and 178 strikeouts in 160.0 innings of work.

ABOUT BETHEL
Bethel, the host of the contests, enters 33-4 overall and 20-2 in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). The Royals are fresh off defeating St. Olaf College to secure a MIAC championship. They will boast an offense that finished third in the MIAC with 227 runs scored. They are active on the base paths with 122 steals in 133 attempts. The Royals' leading hitter was Lexi DeBace. The senior outfielder hit .495 with 18 RBI, 27 runs, and 25 stolen bases in 34 games. As a pitching staff, the Royals rank at the top of the MIAC with a 1.31 ERA and K/9 ratio of 8.91. The staff was headlined by Kayla Simacek. The junior pitcher went 31-2 with an ERA of 0.83 while striking out 295 across 211.1 innings of work.