Dayton wins A-10 softball tournament for first time

“I’m very relieved,” said Dayton pitcher Sarah Bailitz, a graduate student in her fifth season with the Flyers, on ESPN+ after the game. “This was our goal all year. I said when I was a freshman I wanted to win the A-10, and five years later, we finally did it. It’s just the best feeling in the world.”

The Flyers will play in the NCAA tournament for the first time. The bracket will be revealed on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. Sunday.

Bailitz and Izzy Kemp combined to shut out Saint Louis. Bailitz struck out a career-high nine batters and allowed two hits in six innings. Kemp pitched the seventh inning and allowed one hit and struck out two.

Dayton took the lead with two runs in the first. An RBI groundout by Chloe Wong scored Emma Schutter. A single by Molly Grace scored Kirnan Bailey.

Dayton added a run in the sixth. A single by Grace scored Maddie Kapsimalis.

Dayton, the No. 1 seed in the tournament after winning the regular-season title for the first time since 2015, opened the tournament with a 13-3 victory Thursday against No. 5 seed Massachusetts. Wong drove in four runs.

On Friday, Dayton beat No. 2 seed Loyola Chicago 2-0. Kemp threw a two-hit shutout.

Wong, who was 6-for-8 with three runs scored and five RBIs in three games, was named the most outstanding player of the tournament. She was named to the all-tournament team, along with Bailitz, Kemp and Schutter.

The Flyers beat Saint Louis after winning two of three games against the Billikens in the final series of the regular season.