NKyTribune staff
The top-seeded Thomas More College softball team captured its seventh Presidents’ Athletic Conference Tournament championship Sunday with a 2-0 victory over second-seeded Westminster in Crestview Hills.
The Saints improved to 31-14 overall and earned the automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Tournament, while Westminster dropped to 27-9. It will be Thomas More’s ninth NCAA Division III Tournament appearance, and seventh under 10th-year head coach Lindsay Eagan.
The NCAA Division III Tournament brackets will be announced Monday at 1 p.m.
The championship game was a battle between the pitchers. Westminster’s Jazmyn Roher faced 24 batters, giving up six hits and two runs and collecting seven strikeouts. Thomas More’s Alix DeDreu faced 26 batters, allowing only three hits and recording seven strikeouts.
Thomas More scored both runs in the bottom of the third inning. DeDreu doubled to left-center for the clutch hit, driving in Laura Finke and Sammy Sagers with the game’s only runs.
Three Thomas More players — sophomore Amanda Lloyd, sophomore Andrea Gahan, and senior Dallis Knotts — were all named to the PAC’s All-Tournament Team. DeDreu was selected as the PAC Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
This year’s PAC Tournament featured a number of record-breaking performances by the Saints. On Sunday, Finke tied the school record for most career hits with 204. DeDreu became Thomas More’s single-season wins record-holder on Saturday, earning her 20th victory against Saint Vincent and breaking the previous mark of 19.
DeDreu — who also picked up another victory later on Saturday — now has 22 wins heading into the NCAA Tournament. A year ago, DeDreu was named to the NCAA Division III All-American Team by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
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