MISHAWAKA, Indiana - The Marian College softball team looked to earn its second-ever trip to the NAIA National Tournament on Saturday afternoon in the third and decisive game of the MCC NAIA Tournament play-in series.

 

The Knights split with No. 7-ranked Bethel College on Friday in a doubleheader to set up the third game on the road on Saturday.

 

The dream came to an end for the Knights as Bethel earned the win, 7-0, to clinch the automatic berth in the NAIA National Tournament next week. The Knights' season looks like it will end with a 37-9 overall record and the MCC Tournament championship, their second in school history.

 

The Knights were held to just three hits on Saturday and could get little going on offense as Bethel pulled away early and never looked back.

 

Junior Sandy Corum (North Vernon, Indiana/Jennings County) had her winning streak snapped at 14 games as she fell to 14-1 on the season. Senior Heather Pieper (Greenwood, Indiana/Greenwood) finished the game with one run over four innings and struck out two. Her career comes to an end with a spectacular 19-4 record and a 12.4-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

 

Sophomore Jessica Slayton (Indianapolis/Decatur Central), senior Samantha Hypes (Plainfield, Indiana/Plainfield), and senior Amanda Teagardin (Indianapolis/Southport) each had a hit for the Knights in the final game of the series.

 

The Knights had one of the most outstanding seasons in school history after they finished 37-9, just percentage points from the best record in school history. They went 14-2 in the MCC regular season and picked up their second-ever MCC Tournament championship on Thursday.

 

Five Knights were named All-Conference, head coach Scott Fleming was named MCC Coach of the Year for the first time, four Academic All-Conference selections, and one Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes highlighted the 2009 season of Marian College softball.