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Murphy leads team to first NCAA tournament

Maple Ridge pitcher MVP of league playoff tourney
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Liz Murphy of Maple Ridge has been a standout NCAA pitcher this season. (Contributed)

sports@mapleridgenews.com

Maple Ridge softball pitcher Liz Murphy led her Detroit Mercy Titans to a Horizon League title, and the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament bid.

Murphy was named the Horizon League Tournament MVP after absolutely dominating the circle. She earned her third win in the postseason by throwing two complete-game shutouts in one day against the UIC Flames. In 14 innings facing elimination, Murphy did not allow a run and scattered just eight hits and seven walks, with nine strikeouts, while facing one of the best offensive teams all year in the regular season champion Flames.

In the entire tournament, she was 3-0 with a 0.62 ERA, as she allowed just three runs and 17 hits in 22.2 third innings, walking 11 with 19 strikeouts.

Murphy was named an NCAA all-league selection last week. Murphy was second in the league in batters struck out looking (53), third in the league in strikeouts (118) and had a 2.39 ERA with eight wins across 126 innings pitched.

The Titans advance to the Evanston Regional in Illinois and will face Northwestern on Friday.


 


ncorbett@mapleridgenews.com

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Neil Corbett

About the Author: Neil Corbett

I have been a journalist for more than 30 years, the past decade with the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News.
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