STORM LAKE, Iowa – The Wartburg College Knights (27-12, 9-7 A-R-C) defeated Buena Vista University (26-13, 10-6 A-R-C) 4-0 in the semis and Nebraska Wesleyan University (22-14, 8-8 A-R-C) 5-4 in the final to win the A-R-C Tournament title. Wartburg will be the conference’s automatic qualifier to the 2022 NCAA Division III Softball Championship. The field is announced this Monday, May 9.
 
It was Wartburg’s fourth conference tournament championship title and first since 2008. The Knights were the fourth-seeded team in this year’s tournament and came away with three wins to earn the title of tournament champions.

The NCAA will announce AQ and at-large qualifiers, along with regional sites selected for the Championship on Monday, May 9. The regional round takes place Friday-Sunday, May 13-15 (regionals that include a team with a no-Sunday play policy will be conducted Thursday-Saturday). Winners of the regionals will advance to the super regionals Friday and Saturday, May 20-21. This year's NCAA Division III Championship will take place Thursday-Tuesday, May 26-31 at Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Virginia.
 
Wartburg 5, Nebraska Wesleyan 4 (Championship Game)
 

Team	1-2-3	4-5-6	7		R	H	E
NWU (6)	0-1-0	2-0-1	0		4	12	1
WAR (4)	2-0-0	0-0-3	x		5	7	2

The Wartburg College Knights carried their momentum from yesterday’s 9-2 win over Luther and today's semifinal win over Buena Vista 4-0 into the first inning of the championship game, scoring two runs on two hits. Olivia Brecht got it started with a two-out single and stealing second. Ella Link, the clean-up hitter for the Knights, blasted a two-run homerun to get the first runs on the board.
 
Nebraska Wesleyan put a run on the board in the top of the second inning on a Sydney Nickerson single down the right field line. Both teams were held scoreless, until the Prairie Wolves put two runs on the board in the top of the fourth with a two RBI double by Hanna Roth. Nebraska Wesleyan put another run on the board in the top of the sixth when Roth hit a single down the right field line and Addison Duranski scored on a throwing error.
 
Being down 4-2 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, the Knights were able to score three runs, starting with a lead off homerun by Lauren Frerichs. With runners on first and second, Happ got ahold of a double in the left center gap to score two runners, Sydney Fellows and pinch runner Riley Feeley, to cap off the scoring in the championship game.
 
The starting pitcher for the Knights, Ashley Nelson, pitched 2.1 innings, giving up one run on four hits and recording one strikeout. Madison Hiestand came in for relief, pitching 1.2 innings, giving up two runs on four hits and recording one strikeout. Junior Carly Salutric came in to pitch 2.2 innings for the Knights, with senior Lauren Reicks coming in to close out the last out for Wartburg.

Nebraska Wesleyan 7, Dubuque 4 (Semifinal #2)

The second semifinal match of the game saw Nebraska Wesleyan take the 7-4 win over the Dubuque Spartans. Taylor Styskal was the leading hitter for the Prairie Wolves, going 2-for-4 with four RBIs. Kailey Meyer, Bre Schneidewind, and Sydney Nickerson each had an RBI for Nebraska Wesleyan. Meyer went the distance in the circle for the Prairie Wolves, bringing her season record to 17-6. She gave up four runs on nine hits, while striking out seven. The leading hitters for the Spartans were Alyanna Martinez, Callie Dutton, and Dariann Diorio. Martinez was 2-for-2 with two RBIs, Dutton was 3-for-3, and Diorio was 2-for-3.
 

Team	1-2-3	4-5-6	7		R	H	E
NWU (6)	1-4-0	1-0-0	1		7	8	0
DBQ (2)	0-0-0	0-2-0	2		4	9	0

Wartburg 4, Buena Vista 0 (Semifinal #1)

In the first semifinal game of the day, the fourth-seeded Wartburg College Knights defeated the No. 1-seeded Buena Vista Beavers by a score of 4-0. The big hit came off an Olivia Brecht three RBI triple in the third inning. The scoring was capped off by a Hannah Happ RBI triple to right field. Getting the win for the Knights in the circle was Ashley Nelson, bringing her season record to 12-4. She pitched a complete game shutout, allowing three hits and striking out three. Ashtyn Miller was the leading hitter for the Beavers, going 2-for-3.
 

Team	1-2-3	4-5-6	7		R	H	E
WAR (4)	0-0-3	1-0-0	0		4	4	1
BVU (1)	0-0-0	0-0-0	0		0	3	2

The winner of the tournament will receive the American Rivers Conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Softball Championship. The NCAA selection will announce AQ and at-large qualifiers, along with regional sites selected for the Championship on Monday, May 9. The regional round takes place Friday-Sunday, May 13-15 (regionals that include a team with a no-Sunday play policy will be conducted Thursday-Saturday). Winners of the regionals will advance to the super regionals Friday and Saturday, May 20-21. This year's NCAA Division III Championship will take place Thursday-Tuesday, May 26-31 at Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Virginia.
 

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