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ESPN3:  Replay vs. Valpo  I  HL Semis
 
CHICAGO (5/12/17) – The University of Detroit Mercy softball team won its third-straight elimination game, 8-0, over reigning champ and third-seeded Valparaiso to advance to the Horizon League Tournament Semifinals on Friday afternoon.
 
The fifth-seeded Titans wasted little time getting the offense rolling with three runs in the top of the first. Detroit Mercy added a run in the third and four more in the fifth on a grand slam by freshman Ellie Boteler to earn the win in an abbreviated five frames.
 
Rookie Liz Murphy was in control once again from the circle, limiting the Crusader offense to a pair of singles across five shutout innings.
 
The freshman has now won two of three HL Tournament starts while allowing just two earned runs in three complete games and 19 innings of work. Murphy now has 14 wins on the season – the seventh highest total in program history and the most for a Titan since 1992.
 
The Titans turned four walks and five hits into eight runs, led by Boteler who racked up five RBI and sophomore Courtney Gilbert who went 2-for-2 with a walk, RBI and three runs scored.
 
Sophomore Jordan Manno extended her reached-base streak to 30 straight games after going 1-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored, while senior Alyssa James went 1-for-2 with a two-run double.
 
The Titans had not made the Horizon League Tournament since the event went to the top six seeds in 2010 and Detroit Mercy's three wins are the most for the program in the postseason tournament since 1998.
 
With the win over No. 3 Valpo, the Titans will advance to the HL semis to take on the loser of No. 1 UIC and No. 2 Youngstown State at 6 p.m. ET on Friday night from Flames Field.
 
The winner of that matchup advances to the championship game at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 13.