EAST PEORIA, Ill. – Taylor Duff's walk-off single gave Maryville softball a 4-3 comeback win over the University of Illinois Springfield in game one of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament. After finding themselves down 3-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Saints rallied to tie the game before Duff's game-winning hit in the bottom of the eighth.
 
UIS Recap
Third Team All-GLVC selection Chayse Ramey got the nod in game one for the Saints, setting down the first six batters she faced. In the second, the Saints got on the board when Mandi Lenon was hit by a pitch and moved to third after singles from Erin Sammelmann and Lexi Touchette. A wild pitch with two outs brought the first run home, but UIS worked out of the jam with a strikeout.  
 
In the top of the third inning, a pair of errors moved a runner to third base with two outs and a Danielle Dennis RBI double tied the game at one. Ramey got the final out of the inning with a groundout to keep the game deadlocked.
 
The junior was relieved for after four innings pitched, two hits, no earned runs allowed, and two strikeouts. Emersen Heron was called upon in relief and kept the game scoreless until the top of the sixth.
 
Dennis again doubled to lead off the sixth frame, Ashley Klinzing singled, and Isabella Wilson singled them both home to give her team the lead. Maryville went down in order in the bottom of the sixth still trailing 3-1.
 
Down to their final two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Taylor Duff reached base on an error by the UIS second baseman. Erin Sammelmann singled to put two runners on for Taylor Shingler who doubled home a run. Melanie Nelson tied the game in the next at-bat with a single to left field before UIS worked out with a fly ball.
 
Ramey came back in for the top of the eighth and continued dealing. She got the first two hitters to ground out before a single and a strikeout to end the frame.
 
Now with a chance to win the game, Heron ripped a one-out double to right-center before UIS got a pinch hitter to fly out. Duff stepped back in with a chance to give her team the win and drilled a line drive to left field to bring in the pinch runner Tori Forbeck for a walk-off single and a 4-3 final.
 
Winning Pitcher: Chayse Ramey (10-8)
Losing Pitcher: Taylor Zawacki (10-12)
 
Batting Leaders:
Taylor Duff: 1-for-4, Walk-off single, RBI
Taylor Shingler: 2-for-3, 2B, RBI
Melanie Nelson: 2-for-4, 3B, RBI, SB
 
Records:
Maryville: 28-19
UIS: 33-21

What's Next?
The Saints will take on the winner of the University of Indianapolis and Drury University in the second round on Friday, May 5 at 3 p.m.