RVC secures 8th consecutive (and final) Div. II crown, while Triton, Bryant & Stratton compete at Div. II tournament

DeWITT, NY & OXFORD, ALA. - In their final year as a Division III program, Rock Valley College left with their championship legacy in tact, winning their unprecedented eighth consecutive NJCAA Division III Softball National Championship with a 9-2 (Box Score | NJCAA Story) victory over Corning Community College on May 28 in upstate New York. The Golden Eagles have been the class of the tournament since 2014. In Alabama, Region 4 champions Triton College and Bryant & Stratton College went a combined 1-4 at the 2022 NJCAA Division II Softball Championships.

The top-seeded and top-ranked Golden Eagles blew by opening round opponent and eighth-seeded Monroe-Bronx with a 10-3 final, before holding off fifth-seeded Brookdale Community College with a 2-1 decision in the second round. A meeting with perenial power Corning Community College came in the semifinal, and a three-run third inning was enough to pull off a 3-2 win and advance to the championship. Corning CC battled back from an elimination game to get a rematch with RVC, however, the defending champs were waiting and ready. Two runs in the second and Kayla Freiberg solo homer in the third had Rock Valley College in front early, and after the Red Barons posted two runs in the fifth to make it a one-run game, the Golden Eagles plated one in the bottom half and five in the sixth inning for the championship 9-2 win.

NJCAA Division III Softball Championship Awards

Catcher/outfielder Kayla Freiberg was named the Tournament Most Valuable Player after the sophomore tallied four hits, including a double, two triples, and a home run, as well as four runs scored and three RBI. Sophomore right-hander Hannah Hockerman was awarded the Tournament Most Oustanding Pitcher after going 2-0 with a save over three appearances. She worked 16.0 innings and held opposing hitters to two earned runs on ten hits, while striking out 23. Hockerman was also named the NJCAA Division III Pitcher of the Year (Official NJCAA Release) after finishing 2022 with a nation's best 25 wins, as well as the second best ERA at 1.74 and total strikeouts with 222. Sophomore infielder Kelli Riordan racked up six hits, four RBI, and three runs scored to earn Tournament Most Oustanding Offensive Player honors. Bella Crimaldi, Madison Carlson, and Jenna Turner were also named to the All-Tournament Team. Darin Monroe and Vivi Marquez were named Co-Coaches of the Tournament. Rock Valley College finished 48-11.

In Alabama, Triton College was making it's second consecutive appearance at the national tournament, while Bryant & Stratton College made its debut after claiming a first-ever Region 4 title. The Trojans, seeded eighth, lost their first round game by a 9-2 score to ninth-seeded Kansas City-Kansas to drop into the elimination bracket. A 4-0 blanking of 16th-seeded WVU Potomac State College that featured 14 strikeouts by Alyssa Stramaglia kept the championship hope alive, however, seventh-seeded Kirkwood Community College closed the door with an 8-0 shutout in the second elimination game. The Bobcats were seeded tenth in the tournament, but suffered a narrow 7-6 setback in a back-and-forth game with Kirkwood CC, who walked off with a one-run win after BSC pulled even in the sixth. An elimination matchup with 15th-seeded Delaware Technical Community College saw the Bobcats build a 3-1 lead entering the seventh inning, only to give up four runs in the top of the seventh and fall 5-4. Triton College finished the year 50-9, with Bryant & Stratton College going 37-11.