The SUNY Corning Community College softball team had a great start at the NJCAA National Tournament by earning wins over #7 seeded Suffolk CC and #6 seeded College of DuPage.  In a very different fashion than they were used to this season, the Corning defense was the star and made the difference in both games. 

In game one, Corning matched up with Suffolk CC, of which were their first two games of the 2021 season back in March.  The Red Barons earned their third win in as many tries as they held off the Sharks 3-0 to advance in the winners bracket.  Corning scored in the first, second and fifth inning.  In the first, Grace Vondracek singled and was able to score on a Lexi Wood double.  In the second inning, an Emily McCreery walk accounted for a run after a Christina Willsey single and then Kiarah Grover's infield fielders choice plated McCreery.  A fifth inning Vondracek single followed by another RBI double from Wood gave CCC the three-run lead.  In the fifth, Suffolk loaded the bases with two outs when centerfielder Grover made a diving catch to preserve the shutout.  McCreery and Jayden Hill combined for the victory.  McCreery earned the win allowing 4 hits and 6 strikouts in 5 innings while Hill walked one and struck out one in two innings of work.  Vondracek and Wood both went 2 for 3 in the game with Wood blasting two doubles collecting 2 RBI's.

After the College of DuPage defeated Herkimer CC, they earned the right to face the Red Barons with the winner advancing to the national semi-final game.  Corning came out hot in the bottom of thr first inning by scoring 2 runs and those runs would be the only scored over the next 6-innings.  Grover reached on an infield error, Vondracek followed with a single bringing Grover to third.  Jill Murray hit a sacrafice fly to left field to plate Grover.  Wood followed with a single and then Hailey Burdick blasted a double that would bring Vondracek across the plate.  Wood finshed 2 for 3 and Vondracek and H. Burdick both doubled.  Jayden Hill was solid in the circle as she earned the complete game win allowing 4 hits in 7-innings of work with 5 strikeouts.  It was the Corning defense though that proved to be the difference.  In the first, Corning was able to work out of a bases loaded jam with a Hill strikeout to end the threat.  In the fourth, the Chapparals got a leadoff single and then Wood cut off a slow roller in the 5/6 hole and caught the runner at second too far off the bag and picked her off second for a big momentum changer.  A Corning error allowed a runner in the 6th before DuPage had two on with one out when Hill envoked an infield ground ball and then came up with another big strikeout to end the inning. 

With the opening day victories, Corning will square off with Rock Valley CC Friday in a National Seim-Final game with the winner advancing to the National Championship game.  First pitch is at 1pm at Carrier Park in Syracuse, New York, the site of the 2021 NJCAA D3 National Tournament.