Box Score 1 DuBOIS, Penn. – Mississippi University for Women's softball team would have made John Travolta proud on Tuesday at the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) softball championships. That's because the Owls (22-19) – after defeating both Carlow University (7-0) and Central Maine C.C. (4-2) – are "stayin' alive" and working their way back through the elimination bracket.
 
And while the MUW bats once again did their part, pitching was the order of the day.
 
Versus Carlow, The W's Rylie Grisham tossed he third shutout and ninth complete game, both team-leading numbers. Grisham scattered seven hits and struck out six Celtics, with no walks.
 
Firstbaseman Anna Sandlin had the big game at the plate against CU. Sandlin went 2-for-4 with a double. She drove in three runs and scored twice, as well.
 
Former Caledonia High School product Maddy Suggs went 2-for-2 in the game, with a sacrifice. Suggs scored one run.
 
Leadoff batter Jessica Deming went 1-for-3 and drew a walk, Deming scored twice and drove in a pair of runs.
 
The Owls out-hit the Celtics, 8-7, and drew four total free passes.
 
The win over Carlow advanced MUW to a meeting versus No. 3-seeded Central Maine Community College. This time, it was junior hurler Avry Byerley's turn to shine from the circle.
 
Byerley went the full 7.0 innings. Byerley struck out five Mustangs and, like Grisham earlier in the day, did not walk a batter. She allowed 10 hits, but just the two earned runs.
 
Byerley got some early support from her second baseman, Riley Phillips. Phillips slugged a solo home run to left-center field in the top of the first. Then, with the score tied 1-1, Phillips laced a one-out single in the third frame and, thanks to a pair of CMCC errors, was able to come around and score.
 
While Byerley continued to keep the Mustangs at bay, the Owls added some insurance in the sixth. Grisham coaxed a walk and pinch-runner Abby Schlude came home after an RBI double by Madison Crosby, who took third on the throw home. With just one out, Maiya Joe grounded out to short, with Crosby easily coming home to make it 4-1.
 
In the sixth, MUW avoided a potential disaster with some alert defense and poor Mustang base running. With runners at first and second and one out in the bottom of the sixth, Central Maine got a single to center. The runner at second stopped at third, but the Mustang at first did not. Suggs alertly fired the ball to third, where the trailing runner was tagged out. Meanwhile the batter-runner had turned toward third and tried to dive back to first, only to be tagged out after a relay across the diamond for an inning-ending double play.
 
In the top of the seventh, MUW got a "web gem" to save the win. With one run in and a runner at second, CMCC had the potential tying run at the plate in Rebecca McNamara. McNamara hit a tailing fly ball toward the right-centerfield gap. Suggs turned on the afterburners and laid out for a diving catch to end the Mustangs season and send the Owls to the rematch versus No. 1-seeded Florida National at 11 a.m. on Wednesday.