SALISBURY, Md. (pacathletics.org) - A championship season for the Westminster College softball program came to an end Friday, as the Titans were defeated in their first two games in the regional round of the NCAA Championships.

Westminster (28-13) suffered a 6-0 loss to No. 8 Salisbury University Thursday afternoon before a two-run homer in the top of the seventh inning propelled Pfeiffer University to a 3-1 win to eliminate the Titans Friday afternoon. 

In Thursday's game against eighth-ranked Salisbury, who hosted the Regional, the Sea Gulls grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second with a solo home run and stretched the lead to 2-0 with a single run in the fourth. Salisbury tacked on four more in the fifth inning and kept Westminster off the scoreboard the rest of the game for the final 6-0 score.

Westminster freshman right-hander Cheyenne Piper (Latrobe, Pa./Ligonier Valley) fell to 17-5 with the loss in the circle. Senior third baseman Mia Meholick's (DuBois, Pa./DuBois Central Catholic) two-out single in the top of the first was Westminster's only hit before sophomore designated player Natalie Davis' (Youngstown, Ohio/Boardman) two-out base hit in the seventh. 

Friday's game was tightly contested from start to finish. Pfeiffer jumped in front when a wild pitch plated a run in the second, but the Titans drew even in the third. Senior outfielder Sydney Lokay (North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin) singled, stole second and was chased home on an RBI double from sophomore catcher Faith Jones (Volant, Pa./Wilmington) to tie the score at 1-1.

The score remained deadlocked until the seventh inning. After a leadoff walk, Piper retired the next two Pfeiffer hitters, but then a two-out, two-run homer to left vaulted the Falcons into the lead. Needing to get a runner on in the bottom of the seventh, Westminster was unable to get the tying run to the plate, as they were retired in order and Pfeiffer escaped with the 3-1 victory.

Piper's outstanding freshman season, which saw her earn PAC Pitcher and Newcomer of the Year while helping the Titans repeat as PAC champions, ended with a tough-luck loss. She threw seven innings, allowing three runs on just four hits with six Ks and five walks.

At the plate, the Titans were also limited to only four hits, including doubles by Jones and Meholick and singles by Lokay and sophomore pinch-hitter Leah Taliani (Arnold, Pa./Valley).