MATTOON, ILL. — St. Mary-of-the-Woods left no doubt which softball team was superior in the 2007 U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association national tournament Friday and Saturday at the Roundhouse Complex.
Using several players who grew up in the Wabash Valley, the Pomeroys dominated the competition and routed Judson (Ala.) 11-0 in five innings in the championship game Saturday night to stamp an exclamation point on a 5-0 weekend. They finished the season with a 25-13 record.
This was The Woods’ fifth USCAA title in the last six years and the first with Gary Rodgers as coach. Ashley Loomis, a junior and former Riverton Parke High School standout from Rosedale, pitched two shutouts over Judson and hit a three-run homer against defending USCAA champion Robert Morris-Springfield on Saturday to earn the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award.
“We all came together,” Loomis assessed after the final game. “We had a lot of drama [dealing with nervousness Friday], but we came together at the perfect time.”
After going 2-0 in pool play Friday, The Woods started the double-elimination portion of the tournament Saturday by blanking Judson 3-0. Besides Loomis’ four-hit pitching, the winners got a 3-for-4 hitting performance from Allison Tomey.
Later in the day, Rodgers’ squad downed Robert Morris-Springfield 11-4 after it fell behind 4-0. Loomis’ three-run blast to deep left-center field capped a five-run third inning that put the Pomeroys ahead to stay.
“Loomis broke it open for us with that home run,” Rodgers said. “They didn’t know it, but they were pitching right into her alley [low] … After that, our defense settled down and Theresa Alley did a good job of pitching.”
After that, Judson needed an 11-7 triumph over Robert Morris-Springfield to force a rematch with The Woods.
The rematch was no contest.
Loomis — who allowed only a third-inning double to Misty Jones and two walks in five innings of mound duty — received plenty of offensive support, some of it from herself.
Tomey led off the bottom of the first with a single and a stolen base before she advanced to third base on a wild pitch and raced home on a passed ball.
The next batter, Erica Ketner of Terre Haute, beat out an infield single, stole second and immediately moved up to third on a passed ball on the same play. One out later, Loomis tripled off the right-field fence to bring home Ketner to increase the Pomeroys’ advantage to 2-0.
Loomis admitted she doesn’t get many triples, because triples usually require speed, which is not her primary attribute.
“The coach was waving me on and I said to myself, ‘Are you kidding me? I’ve gotta go to third?’” Loomis recalled with a laugh.
The Pomeroys added four more runs in the second to pad their cushion to 6-0. Stacy Kutcher led off by getting hit by a pitch. One out later, Tomey doubled over the left fielder’s head to plate Kutcher and she advanced to third on the throw home.
With two outs, Alley bloop-singled in Tomey and Loomis followed with a double that one-hopped off the right-center-field fence. Then former West Vigo standout Amanda Daniel knocked both of them in with a double into the right-center-field gap.
The Woods hammered the final nail in Judson’s coffin with five runs in the fourth. Tomey led off with another single and another steal, then Ketner drove an RBI double down the left-field line. Alley followed with an RBI single and Loomis reached on an error.
Daniel singled to score courtesy-runner Alisha Mosier before Lindsey McNulty reached on a fielder’s choice. Kutcher capped off the outburst by looping a two-run single into center.
“We played awesome,” Daniel said during the postgame celebration. “We played as a team. We played like a national-championship team.”
“This group peaked at the right time,” emphasized Rodgers, who had coached plenty of good teams in 20 years combined at Lincoln Trail and Olney Central colleges without winning a national title. “They were hard to beat all day. I’m really proud of them.”
For the game, The Woods stole five bases, two by Tomey.
“We came out and took it away from them right away in the first inning,” Rodgers said. “I think our speed was too much for their defense.”
“Taking advantage of every situation, especially when you’ve got speed on the bases, it always helps,” Tomey noted. “Speed can be a little intimidating, I think.”
Woods seniors Tomey, Ketner, Daniel, Kutcher, Mosier and Erin Brackney all played the final games of their collegiate careers Saturday. For Ketner, this was the final time she got to play with her younger sister/teammate Jessica Ketner.
“It’s been great,” Erica Ketner reflected. “But it’s kind of sad that it’s all over.”
• • •
• Tournament notes — Four members of The Woods were named to the all-tournament team. They are Daniel, Erica Ketner, Tomey and Loomis.
Early Saturday games
SMWC 012 000 0 — 3 6 0
Judson 000 000 0 — 0 4 1
Loomis (W, 12-1) and Brackney; Bounds, Eubanks (4) and Glass.
Highlights — For The Woods, Allison Tomey went 3 for 4 and Amanda Daniel singled in a run in the third inning.
Robert Morris-Springfield 004 000 0 — 4 7 2
SMWC 005 213 x — 11 15 1
Neff and Doarn; Alley (W, 5-5) and Brackney. HR — SMWC: Loomis (12).
Highlights — For The Woods, Ashley Loomis went 3 for 4 with a three-run homer in the third, a double and four RBIs, Jessica Ketner went 2 for 4 with a double and two RBIs, Allison Tomey went 2 for 4 with a double, Amanda Daniel went 2 for 4 with two RBIs, Erica Ketner also went 2 for 4 and winning pitcher Theresa Alley went 1 for 4 with two RBIs.
Other Saturday scores – Judson 5, Penn State-Beaver 3; St. Joseph’s (N.Y.) 6, Briarcliffe 5; Robert Morris-Springfield 12, St. Joseph’s 0 (5 innings); Penn State-Beaver 13, Briarcliffe 0 (5 innings); Judson 4, St. Joseph’s 1; Judson 11, Robert Morris-Springfield 7.
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
Pomeroys win softball championship
- Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
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Secret weapon: Kelsey Rosselli finishing Woods career with a bang
At Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, reporting game results to the Tribune-Star after a win or a loss is not always a high priority.
So when one of its athletes enjoys an outstanding season, like senior Kelsey Rosselli is doing for the Pomeroys’ softball team in 2013, media publicity doesn’t always follow.
In fact, her efforts almost seem like a government secret.
Rosselli’s name might sound familiar to longtime Terre Haute softball followers because she was a standout for North High School, from where she graduated in 2009.
Since then, she’s helped The Woods finish runner-up in three straight U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) national tournaments in 2010, 2011 and 2012. -
A time for firsts: SMWC seniors have national title aspirations
Even though St. Mary-of-the-Woods College has won eight national titles in softball in the last 16 years, seniors Sara Goelz and Jessica Jonas are among the many current Woods players who have not been part of a national championship team.
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Federal audit says SMWC should return $42M in student aid
A federal audit says St. Mary-of-the-Woods College should return $42 million in loans and grants made to students between 2005 and 2010, something the college plans to challenge.
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This underdog has its day
It’s been an up-and-down regular season for the St. Mary-of-the-Woods College women’s basketball team, but it concluded on a definite uptick.
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The mane attraction: Woods students learn about careers in equine world
A horse can be a powerful therapeutic tool, something Chris Marks knows firsthand.
“I’ve seen children with autism speak their first word to a horse,” causing their parents to “dissolve in a puddle of emotion,” said Marks, chairman of the Equine Studies program at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College.
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WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Rose, The Woods post weekend victories
Rose-Hulman relied on a balanced scoring attack and a strong defensive effort to earn a 55-44 women’s basketball victory Saturday over Mount St. Joseph.
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SMWC topples Rose-Hulman
After a sluggish first half for both teams, St. Mary-of-the-Woods College found enough offensive rhythm in the final 20 minutes to outlast host Rose-Hulman 51-41 in the 19th annual Clabber Girl Trophy women’s basketball showdown Tuesday night inside Hulbert Arena.
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METRO ROUNDUP: SMWC’s Runyon wins USCAA cross country title
Blinding snow and freezing temperatures couldn’t stop Saint Mary-of-the-Woods junior Stephanie Runyon, an education major from Noblesville, from becoming the 2011 U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association women’s national champion in cross country Friday.
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Trimmed roster may benefit SMWC
“Less is more” is a statement with many, many meanings, attributed to many, many sources through the years.
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Dottie King becomes 16th president of St. Mary-of-the-Woods College
As the mother of six children, Dottie King learned early on the importance of setting priorities and achieving the right balance between family, education and work.
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Pomeroys battle to second at national championship
Eight times, St. Mary-of-the-Woods has captured some form of a national championship in softball.
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Shearing Time
You’ve probably never seen a haircut quite like this.
Alpacas, remarkably sweet-looking members of the camel family, were getting their annual shearing last week at the White Violet Center for Eco Justice at St. Mary-of-the-Woods. -
SMWC puts up fight in tourney
St. Mary-of-the-Woods downed Judson 6-2 Sunday morning in the semifinal round of the 2011 USCAA national softball championships, earning a trip to the best-of-three title series.
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BREAKING: St. Mary-of-the-Woods College names Dottie King as 16th president
Dottie L. King, Ph.D. has been appointed the 16th president of St. Mary-of-the-Woods College, the board of trustees announced today.
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Ex-Wildcat finds new home at Woods
Many people find “the path of least resistance” as a preferable way to proceed in life. After all, less risk is involved with a sure thing.
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NEW: St. Mary-of-the-Woods College announces academic changes
St. Mary-of-the-Woods College announced today a refocus of its academic programs. An afternoon news conference is under way at SMWC, which posted a notice about the changes on its website, www.smwc.edu.
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Marian holds off Rose women’s second-half charge
Marian University relied on a strong defensive effort to hold off a second half Rose-Hulman charge and earn a 61-52 women’s basketball victory Saturday afternoon.
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Influx of new players has Pomeroys on rise
With a steady influx of “Killer B’s,” the fortunes of the St. Mary-of-the-Woods’ women’s basketball team are once again on the rise.
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Woods soccer goes 1-1, earns national honors
St. Mary-of-the-Woods returned from the United States Collegiate Athletic Association soccer finals with a 1-1 record and a host of national honors.
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Six St. Mary-of-the-Woods teams compete in national tournaments
St. Mary-of-the-Woods College athletics celebrates the end of a phenomenal year during the 2009-10 season as six teams competitively competed in national tournaments.
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Rosselli, other Valley talent leads Woods into national softball tourney
The St. Mary-of-the-Woods softball program is no stranger to national tournaments.
The Pomeroys claimed some form of a national championship in 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008, the last several sanctioned by the U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA). -
St. Mary-of-the-Woods plans Saturday commencement
St. Mary-of-the-Woods College will celebrate its 169th commencement Saturday. Graduation activities will begin at 10:30 a.m. with the traditional baccalaureate mass in the Church of the Immaculate Conception.
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Woods, Rose softball teams split doubleheader
Rose-Hulman and St. Mary-of-the-Woods College split a softball doubleheader that featured the longest athletic contest in history between the two schools on Friday night.
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Ring Day a much anticipated event at The Woods
Ring Day is a much anticipated and special day for most students, but for two St. Mary-of-the-Woods External Degree students in particular it was an especially great experience this year.
- Injury bug bites: St. Mary-of-the-Woods basketball trying to get and stay healthy A myriad of injuries have plagued the St. Mary-of-the-Woods women’s basketball team in recent seasons, forcing the Pomeroys to compete on numerous occasions with just seven, six and sometimes only five players able to play.
- The Woods appoints new vice president for development St. Mary-of-the-Woods College President David G. Behrs has announced the appointment of Serafina I. Spatola as vice president for development.
- St. Mary-of-the-Woods takes fourth in national tournament
- The Woods celebrates 168th commencement More than 140 students are expected to participate in St. Mary-of-the-Woods College’s 168th Commencement Ceremony on Saturday.
- Untold Stories: Film takes unique look ‘Inside Iraq’ At 7 p.m. Monday, St. Mary-of-the-Woods College will present “Inside Iraq: The Untold Stories,” which will include a film showing and discussion with the director of the film, Mike Shiley. The presentation, which will be in the Cecilian Auditorium of the SMWC Conservatory of Music building, is part of the College’s Four-Star series, and it is being co-sponsored by the SMWC Student Activities Committee. The presentation is free and open to the public.
- TH to promote ‘Crossroads of Higher Education’ at Statehouse Terre Haute may lie near Indiana’s western border, but business, education and government leaders want state lawmakers to know that the city that bills itself as the “Crossroads of America” is also the “Crossroads of Higher Education.”
- More Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Headlines
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