The Capital University softball squad was the underdog in all three of their games in the Ohio Athletic Conference tournament this weekend at the University of Mount Union in Alliance. They went on to win all three to capture the tourney title.

The weekend started with a Thursday victory against Baldwin Wallace. The Comets scored eight runs in the top of the sixth inning to win 10-2 in an abbreviated six-inning contest. Senior Reagan Irons went 3-for-3 with a walk and knocked in two runs, while scoring twice to lead Capital.

On Friday, Capital took on the #11-ranked Mount Union Purple Raiders, the host of the tournament. The Comets were behind 4-2 going to their final at-bat in the seventh inning. They crossed the plate three times in the frame to take the lead and held on for the 5-4 upset victory. It was senior Autumn Bridges’ sacrifice fly that brought home the winning run.

In Saturday’s championship tilt against Heidelberg, Capital fell behind 2-0 after two innings, then scored seven runs through the sixth inning to grab the title by the final score of 7-2. The Comets got a pair of RBIs from senior Kyleigh Kirby, junior Megan Parry, and sophomore Morgan Priest.

Sophomore Addi Parker, a Mount Vernon grad, started all three games for Capital, earning wins in the first two. She threw only 1.1 innings in the championship game, but Jonathan Alder’s Alyssa Miller, a sophomore, went the rest of the way against Heidelberg to pick up the victory.

With Saturday’s win, the Comets automatically qualify for the Division III NCAA tournament. The championship bracket will be revealed on Monday during a selection show that will be livestreamed on NCAA.com.

The 64-team field will consist of 42 automatic qualifiers and 22 at-large bids. The tournament will conclude on Wednesday, June 3 at Moyer Sports Park in Salem, Virginia.