mark.berman@roanoke.com 981-3125

One run was enough for Roanoke College in its first game Sunday. It was hardly sufficient in its second game.

Muskingum beat the Maroons 5-1 on Sunday to win the NCAA DivisionIII regional softball tournament at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem.

Roanoke had advanced to the finals by edging Emory 1-0 earlier in the day. Muskingum's hitters proved more imposing.

"We were kind of wondering where they had learned to hit," losing pitcher Amy Gillis said.

The top-seeded Muskies (41-5) went 3-0 in the double-elimination tournament, outscoring their foes 23-1. If Roanoke had beaten them Sunday, a second game of the finals would have been held today. Instead, Muskingum headed home to New Concord, Ohio, after the game. The Muskies will return to Salem for the DivisionIII national championships, which begin Friday.

"We're playing well right now. Whether you can recreate that next weekend remains to be seen," said Muskies coach Donna Newberry, whose team won the NCAA title in 2001. "We've got our offense and our defense and our pitching all clicking."

The Muskies went 0-2 in last year's national championships at Moyer.

"This erases some bad memories," Newberry said with a grin.

Erica Hoyt pitched a three-hitter to help the Muskies win their 26th straight game. The Muskies, who jumped on Roanoke for 10 first-inning runs in a 12-0 win Saturday, scored five runs in the fourth inning Sunday.

"They've probably got one of the best pitchers in the country, and then they've got some of the best sticks in the country," Roanoke coach Alan Bayse said.

The second-seeded Maroons (34-12) allowed seven hits and committed four errors.

Mary Thomas hit an RBI single in the bottom of the first to give Roanoke a 1-0 lead.

In the fourth, the Muskies tied the score on a throwing error by Thomas. Kim Tackett followed with an RBI single. Gillis, who had pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings in Sunday's first game, was pulled after the Muskies' fourth hit of the inning. Emily Rackley surrendered a run on a wild pitch and served up a two-run double to Erin Zupko.

"We have a lot of confidence in our bats," Zupko said.

Roanoke had runners on second and third with one out in the bottom of the fourth, but pinch-hitter Veronica Kelly grounded out and Ashley Pierce struck out.

The Muskies have seven seniors to Roanoke's two. They also have Newberry, the third-winningest coach in DivisionIII softball history with 688 victories.

"They have the luxury of leaning on a coach that's been coaching for 30 years," Newberry said. "Continuity and consistency and a proven ability to win allows them to trust sometimes what I'm saying."

The first game of the day was scoreless until the bottom of the seventh.

Rackley relieved Gillis with Emory runners on first and third and two outs in the top of the seventh. She retired Lauren Wald on a fly to left.

Crystal Berry and Amy Zachary singled off Nicole Kovski with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Kim Rowe walked for the fourth time to tie a Roanoke single-game record. Thomas, a senior who graduated from Cave Spring, lined an RBI single between the shortstop and third baseman to win the game.

"I was sweating bullets," Thomas said.

Kovski, who went the distance in Emory's 1-0, 14-inning win over Sewanee on Saturday night, came on in relief in the fifth Sunday.

The Eagles (36-12) were seeking to reach the national championships for the third straight year.

Game 1

Emory000 000 0 -0 4 0

Roanoke000 000 1 - 1 7 0

O'Brien, Kovski (5) and Bouknight; Gillis, Rackley (7) and Zachary. W- Rackley (10-7). L- Kovski.

Game 2

Muskingum000 500 0 - 5 7 1

Roanoke100 000 0 - 1 3 4

Hoyt and Feldkircher; Gillis, Rackley (4) and Zachary. W- Hoyt (37-2). L- Gillis (14-3).