May 10, 2008-It was shut out day on Saturday at the NCAA Division II North Central Regional Softball Tournament in Emporia, Kan. Emporia State, Minnesota State and Winona State all posted shut out wins, with ESU and WSU the teams that are left standing at the end of the day. The Hornets and Warriors will meet for the regional championship on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. for the right to go to Houston and the NCAA Division II Spring Sports Festival.

Game Recaps
Emporia State 2, Winona State 0
Jennifer Dace delivered a two out, two run home run in the bottom of the sixth to give Emporia State a 2-0 win over Winona State in the winner's bracket championship game.
ESU's Samantha Sheeley and WSU's Kristen Fossell were locked in a pitcher's duel through the first five innings before Dace's heroics. Sheeley took a no hitter into the seventh and ended with a one hit shut out. She struck out 11 in her second straight shut out of the regional. Fossell had faced just two over the minimum through the first five innings and started the sixth with a strike out before Jessie Wiard reached on a bunt single. Angela Mahan then flew out to center field before Dace blasted her shot over the wall in left field to break up the shut out.
With the win ESU advances to the regional championship for the fourth straight year and will take on Winona State at 10 a.m. on Sunday morning.

Minnesota State 6, Neb.-Omaha 0
Minnesota State scored three runs in the first and added three more in the fourth for a 6-0 win over Nebraska-Omaha.
Mallory Michell drove in two runs in the first and scored a run in the fifth while Megan Teal and Samantha Rohr combined on a two hit shut out for the Mavericks.
Minn. State advanced to the loser's bracket championship against Winona State and Neb.-Omaha was eliminated.

Winona State 3, Minnesota State 0
Kristen Fossell tossed a three hit shut out and Chelsea Rosenow went two for three with a run scored in Winona State's 3-0 win over Minnesota State to advance to the regional championship game.
The Warriors had runners in scoring position in both the first and second innings, but could not score until Mollie Bjelland came home on a fielding error in the third. WSU then put two runs on the board in the fourth thanks to Jenny Wilmes' two RBI single.
The Warriors will take on Emporia State at 10 a.m. on Sunday for the regional championship.