Softball: Dayton upsets No. 1 seed in A-10 tournament

Triple by Ward brings in only runs in victory against GW
Dayton's Megan Ward hits during a game against Illinois State in March 2021. Photo by Erik Schelkun

Dayton's Megan Ward hits during a game against Illinois State in March 2021. Photo by Erik Schelkun

The Dayton Flyers are two victories away from their first Atlantic 10 Conference softball tournament championship and NCAA tournament appearance.

No. 4 seed Dayton (20-24) upset No. 1 seed George Washington 2-0 on Thursday in the first round of the four-team, double-elimination tournament at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.

A triple by Megan Ward scored Briley Sidor and Emily Daniel for the game’s only runs in the second inning.

Addy Bullis (12-6) allowed four hits in 5 1/3 scoreless innings. Sarah Bailitz closed the game with 1 2/3 hitless innings, recording her sixth save.

Dayton will play No. 3 Fordham, which beat No. 2 seed Saint Joseph’s 7-3, in the semifinals at noon Friday. George Washington will play whoever loses the Dayton-Fordham game at 2:30 p.m. Friday.

If Dayton beats Fordham, it will play at noon Saturday and could win the championship by winning that game. It would just have to win one of two games Saturday if it beats Fordham on Friday.

Dayton beat George Washington after losing four games to the Colonials in the regular season in Washington, D.C. George Washington (33-9 overall) won the A-10 regular season championship for the first time with a 23-1 record and won its last 11 regular-season games.

Conference awards: Dayton first baseman Alyssa Cacini, who’s hitting .315 with eight home runs and 32 RBIs, was named to the A-10 first team on Thursday. Bullis and Ward, both freshmen, were named to the second team and all-rookie team.

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