No. 6 Simpson softball closes out regular season with sweep at Augustana

ROCK ISLAND, Iowa - Once again the two aces of No. 6 Simpson's staff, Emma LaFave and Marina Cronin, shut down opposing bats, leading the Storm to a 7-0 and 3-1 win over Augustana to close out the regular season on Sunday.

Simpson finished the regular season 32-5 and now heads to the A-R-C Championships as the two-seed. The tournament begins on Friday, May 8 with the Storm clinching a bye until the final day on Saturday. Simpson will play the winner of No. 3 Luther and No. 6 Coe at 1:30 p.m. with the championship game set for 4:00 p.m.

With the first 7-0 victory over Augustana, head coach Brent Matthias collected his 200th career win at Simpson.

Behind Emma LaFave's complete game shutout in game one, Simpson held opposing offenses to zero runs over a span of 26 innings before the streak was snapped in the first inning of game two.

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

• Megan Heidelbauer sparked the offense with her team-leading seventh home run of the season, a two-run shot in the third.
• Brynn Ortlund drove in the first run of the fourth with a single to right, followed by an RBI single down the right field line from Makayla Fowler making it a 4-0 ballgame.
• Brielyn Ginnaty continued to extend the Storm lead in the fifth with an RBI single to center, scoring Heidelbauer.
• Augustana continued to struggle with Heidelbauer as the senior produced another RBI in the sixth, her third of the day.
• Katie Shaner put the final exclamation point on the game with a solo shot in the seventh, her fifth of the year.
• Emma LaFave collected the two-hit complete game shutout while allowing just two walks and punching out five.

GAME ONE LEADERS

Megan Heidelbauer - 1-for-3, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R
Katie Shaner - 3-for-4, 1 HR, 1 2B, 2 R, 1 RBI
Emma LaFave - 7 IP, CGSO, W, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

• Augustana took its first lead of the day with a solo shot in the first; however, the lead would only last until the third when Steen drove in Caelynn Obleton to tie the game at 1-1.
• Later in the fifth, it was Steen once again delivering the clutch hit, a double to left center, scoring Abigail Rouse, and putting Simpson on top 2-1.
• Ginnaty gave the Storm an insurance run in the ninth on a single to right that scored Mackenzie James, making it a 3-1 ballgame.
• After the first inning solo home run, Marina Cronin proceeded to silence the Augustana bats. The righty went for a complete game, allowing six hits with no walks, and 11 strikeouts, the most of her career.

GAME TWO LEADERS

Marina Cronin - 7 IP, CG, W, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 11 K
Ashlyn Steen - 2-for-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Brielyn Ginnaty - 1-for-3. 1 1B, 1 RBI

UP NEXT

Simpson plays either Luther or Coe in the semifinals of the A-R-C Championships on Saturday, May 9 at 1:30 p.m.