SAN ANTONIO -- Texas Lutheran defeated Trinity 6-1 and 7-2 Sunday to capture its third straight Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship and its third consecutive NCAA Division III Softball Championship regional berth.

The Bulldogs won their school-record 40th and 41st games of the year. TLU has the most wins in school history and in SCAC history, and the most wins of any team in NCAA DIII this year.

TLU will compete in an NCAA regional in three weeks at a yet to be determined site.

"This championship is well deserved for a great group of seniors," said Wade Wilson, TLU's fifth-year head softball coach. "The way they did it - with their backs up against the wall - says so much about their character and the type of people they are. I could not be prouder of them today and for all that they have done, and continue to do, for our program."

All seven seniors - shortstop Grace Estes, second baseman Megan Armistead, catcher Jennifer Gallagher, first baseman Taylor Yancey, third baseman Heather Hummel, and pitchers Taylor Grissom and Veny Pizana (junior athletically but senior academically) - played large roles in the Bulldogs' two wins Sunday.

The seven seniors were instrumental in the Bulldogs' three championships and three NCAA appearances in 2014, 2015 and now 2016. Four of the seven also claimed an American Southwest Conference West Division Championship in 2013.

One day after losing to Trinity 4-3 in 10 innings in the SCAC semifinal and falling into the elimination bracket, the third-ranked Bulldogs rolled to a run-rule win last night against Centenary College (La.) to earn a rematch with the Tigers at Trinity Softball Field.

In game one, TLU opened up a 6-0 lead by the sixth inning and rode the right arm of junior Pizana to the 6-1 win. Pizana struck out nine and walked three in scattering four hits. She struck out six consecutive Tigers over the second, third and fourth innings.

Pizana improved to 11-2.

Yancey doubled, had two hits, scored a run and drove in a run for the Bulldogs. Kaymee Gooden delivered two RBI, and Hummel, Nicole Snow, and Kirsten Whiteside each registered RBI. 

Hummel and Gooden recorded their RBI on safety squeeze bunts in the fourth.

Pizana started game two but turned the game over to Grissom in the third. The three-time SCAC Pitcher of the Year, Grissom (16-0) tossed five shutout innings to pick up the win.

TLU fell behind 2-0 with Trinity scoring single runs in the first and the second. 

The Bulldogs responded with two runs in the third. Gallagher brought home Armistead with an RBI single, and Yancey doubled again to score Gallagher.

TLU scored three more times in the fourth. Brayden Pinckard drove in two with an RBI single, and Armistead scored Pinckard with another single.

Snow drove a ball into right field to bring home Yancey (after yet another double) in the fifth. Yancey added an RBI in the sixth on an infield single.

The NCAA Division III active career leader in doubles, Yancey now has 65 career doubles. She is fifth among active career doubles leaders among all NCAA divisions. Yancey is the single-season TLU record holder in doubles, with 24. She had three today.

Yancey had three hits in game two and drove in a pair. Armistead, Gallagher and Kirsten Whiteside each picked up two hits. 

The Bulldogs had 13 total hits in game two.

TLU players named to the SCAC All-Tournament Team included: Gallagher, Yancey, Armistead, Estes, Hummel, Whiteside, Gooden and Pizana.