MARSHALL, Texas – Clutch hitting late in the game with key defensive stops led no. 2 East Texas Baptist University to their fourth NCAA Division III Regional Tournament Championship in program history, 5-3, beating no. 9 Texas Lutheran for the second day in a row. ETBU was down one run, 2-1, early before scoring in three straight innings for the two-run win. ETBU has now won Regional Championships 2024, 2017, 2014, and 2010.
 
ETBU had four players named All-Tournament in Tristen Maddox, Emma Bell, Mary Frances Ellis, and Most Outstanding Player Avery Holland.
 
Finishing with eight hits, Delanie Loya led the team with two hits recording a double. Six other players had one hit each as Maddox recorded her 14^th home run of the year. She had one RBI along with Haylie Stum and Mallory Pyle. Ava Rodriguez led the team with two RBI.
 
Holland went the distance going all seven innings recording five strikeouts with three earned runs on seven hits. She retired the final six batters of the game including a strikeout to end it and win the championship.
 
TLU struck first with a two-out single in the first inning to go up, 1-0. Maddox tied the game in the bottom of the first as the first batter of the inning with a second-pitch swing shooting the ball over the left field wall. With one out in the top of second, TLU singled in the go-ahead run to retake the lead, 2-1.
 
It wasn't until the bottom of the third inning that ETBU tied the game at two. With two outs, Courtney White walked and then Tauryn Cummings singled to put two runners on. Stum followed with a shot off the third base that allowed Cummings to come home tying the game. ETBU retook the lead, 3-2, in the bottom of the fourth when Pyle had a one-out single that snuck through the right side of the infield bringing in Hannah Kelley.

The lead didn't last long as TLU tied the game in the top of the fifth on a solo home run to right field.
 
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, TLU walked three straight batters to load the bases. In a key situation, head coach Janae Shirley pinch hit with Rodriguez. On the second pitch, Rodriguez quickly zipped the ball off her bat to left field as both Bell and Ava Nieto came in for the two-run advantage, 5-3.
 
Holland then had three straight ground outs in the top of the sixth inning and then a line out and two strikeouts in the seventh for the championship win.
 
ETBU will now host Williams College on Thursday and Friday in the Super Regional Championship at Bell Park at Taylor Field.