Virginia Wesleyan jumped out to a 2-1 lead in the first inning of Tuesday's decisive Game 3 and never relinquished the lead, riding that first inning to the 2018 NCAA DIII softball championship, its second straight national title. The Marlins topped Illinois Wesleyan after splitting Monday's games.
The Marlins won Game 1 6-1 on Monday, as Hanna Hull pitched seven strong innings, allowing one run on five hits with nine strikeouts. Illinois Wesleyan then forced a Game 3 with a 5-4 eight-inning victory behind Maggie Graham's game-winning RBI double.
MORE: Interactive bracket | Printable bracket | Scoreboard | Stream every game
For the full final schedule, check below:
Tournament schedule from May 24-28/29:
| GAME | MATCHUP | DATE | TIME (ET) | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (1) Virginia Wesleyan vs. (8) Ithaca | Thursday, May 24 | 12 p.m. | 6-0, Virginia Wesleyan |
| 2 | (4) MIT vs. (5) Luther | Thursday, May 24 | 2:30 p.m. | 6-3, Luther |
| 3 | (2) UT Tyler vs. (7) Case Western Reserve | Thursday, May 24 | 5:15 p.m. | 7-1, UT Tyler |
| 4 | (3) Rowan vs. (6) Illinois Wesleyan | Thursday, May 24 | 7:30 p.m. | 5-1, Ill. Wesleyan |
| 5 | (8) Ithaca vs. (4) MIT | Friday, May 25 | 5:30 p.m. | 3-2, Ithaca (8 innings) |
| 6 | (7) Case Western Reserve vs. (3) Rowan (Elimination Game) | Friday, May 25 | 8 p.m. | 2-1, CWRU (8 innings) |
| 7 | (2) UT Tyler vs. (6) Illinois Wesleyan | Saturday, May 26 | 12 p.m. | 3-2, Ill. Wesleyan (10 innings) |
| 8 | (1) Virginia Wesleyan vs. (5) Luther | Saturday, May 26 | 2:30 p.m. | 3-0, Virginia Wesleyan |
| 9 | Ithaca vs. UT Tyler | Saturday, May 26 | 5 p.m. | 5-2, Ithaca |
| 10 | Case Western Reserve vs. Luther | Saturday, May 26 | 7:30 p.m. | 7-6, Luther |
| 11 | Virginia Wesleyan vs. Ithaca | Sunday, May 27 | 1 p.m. | 1-0, Virginia Wesleyan |
| 12 | Illinois Wesleyan vs. Luther | Sunday, May 27 | 3:30 p.m. | 5-2, Luther |
| 14 | Illinois Wesleyan vs. Luther | Sunday, May 27 | 6 p.m. | 5-1, Illinois Wesleyan |
| 15 | Virginia Wesleyan vs. Illinois Wesleyan (National Championship Game 1) | Monday, May 28 | 2 p.m. | 6-1, Virginia Wesleyan |
| 16 | Virginia Wesleyan vs. Illinois Wesleyan (National Championship Game 2) | Monday, May 28 | 4:30 p.m. | 5-4, Illinois Wesletan (8 innings) |
| 17 | Virginia Wesleyan vs. Illinois Wesleyan (National Championship Game 3) *if necessary | Tuesday, May 29 | 12 p.m. | 3-1, Virginia Wesleyan |
Virginia Wesleyan took home the 2017 national championship with a two-game sweep over St. John Fisher in the final series. Click here for the complete DIII softball championship history.
