Triton College repeats, Bryant & Stratton breaks through as Region 4 champions
HIGHLAND, ILL. - Triton College and Bryant & Stratton College were the last teams standing after each won their respective bracket of the 2022 Region 4 Division II Softball Tournament Championships on May 15. The top-seeded Trojans repeated as champs courtesy of a 12-1 beat down of third-seeded Sauk Valley Community College to win the District A crown, while the first-seeded Bobcats routed third-seeded Highland Community College by a 10-0 final to secure the District B title for their first-ever Region 4 championship. Triton College's Carissa Bombaeriere, Taylor Schwartz, Alyssa Stamaglia, and Katlyn Cherry were named to the All-Tournament Team, with Christina Christopher receiving Region 4 Coach of the Year honors. Meanwhile, Megan Verbeten, Alyssa Trensch, Karissa Laabs, and Sydney Birling received All-Tournament Team recognition for Bryant & Stratton College, which was led by Regoin 4 Coach of the Year Dean Herman.
Triton College used wins of 12-4 over fourth-seeded South Suburban Collegein the quarterfinals and 9-2 over fellow 2021 Region 4 champion Madison College in the semifinals to advance. The Trojans posted five runs in the first inning against the Skyhawks, and closed out the win with five more in the sixth. Cherry and Lucy Goodwin combined for five hits, including three home runs, nine runs batted in, and five runs scored, while Stramaglia struck out 13 opposing batters. For Bryant & Stratton College, the route to the finals featured a 6-1 win against fourth-seeded Waubonsee Community College in the opener, and a semifinal decision of 13-0 over the Cougars before the ten-run rematch. The finals saw BSC score three runs in the first, five more in the third, and two in the fifth with Trensch and Jamira Olson each hitting home runs and Birling fanning ten hitters.
Triton College and Bryant & Stratton College each earned an automatic berth into the 2022 NJCAA Division II Softball Championships in Oxford, Alabama, from May 24-28.
2022 Region IV Midwest District A All-Tournament Team
Trina Pappas - South Suburban College
Maddie Kvatek - Madison College
Casey Fountain - Madison College
Josie Rank - Sauk Valley Community College
Payton Johnson - Sauk Valley Community College
Payton Yanes - Sauk Valley Community College
Katlyn Cherry - Triton College
Alyssa Stramaglia - Triton College
Taylor Schwartz - Triton College
Carissa Bombaeriere - Triton College
2022 Region 4 Coach of the Year
Christina Christopher - Triton College
2022 Region IV Midwest District B All-Tournament Team
Brooke Brian - Kankakee Community College
Janeen O'Reilly - Waubonsee Community College
Taylor Warren - Waubonsee Community College
Kellsie Ramos - Highland Community College
Tia Clark - Highland Community College
Jada Nanni - Highland Community College
Sydney Birling - Bryant & Stratton College
Karissa Laabs - Bryant & Stratton College
Alyssa Trensch - Bryant & Stratton College
Megan Verbeten - Bryant & Stratton College
2022 Region 4 Coach of the Year
Dean Herman - Bryant & Stratton College