Saturday's game times at the Louisville Regional of the 2012 NCAA Tournament have been changed due to television programming. The three games on Saturday are now scheduled for 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. CDT, and all three will be broadcast live on ESPN.

After capturing the Horizon League Championship last weekend, Valparaiso embarks on its first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament this weekend. The Crusaders will kick off the tournament at the Louisville Regional against the 15th seed nationally, #7/9 Louisville, at 6 p.m. CDT on Friday on ESPN2. The other two teams in the double-elimination regional are #21/19 Michigan and #-/RV Kentucky. Every game of the regional will be either on ESPN2 or ESPN.

Valparaiso softball’s first-ever NCAA trip will take place in Louisville, Ky., as the Crusaders learned Sunday evening that they had been placed in the Louisville Regional of the 2012 NCAA Softball Tournament. Valpo will open regional play against the host Cardinals, the 15th seed nationally, at 6 p.m. CDT on Friday, May 18, a game which will be televised live nationwide on ESPN2.

The Valparaiso softball team will be going to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history after winning a pair of games over Loyola on its home field Saturday afternoon to capture the 2012 Horizon League Championship, both coming by 2-1 scores and both thanks to walk-off game-winning hits by tournament MVP Angie Doerffler (Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran).

It took extra innings on Friday afternoon, but Valparaiso loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth with nobody out and pinch-runner Hayley Bridwell (Lemont, Ill./Lemont Township) scored the walk-off run on a Butler error to give the Crusaders a 4-3 victory over the Bulldogs in an elimination game at the 2012 Horizon League Championship. With the win, Valpo advances to Championship Saturday at the league tournament and will take on Loyola at noon. The Crusaders will have to win two games in order to capture the tournament title.

A 10-hit attack which included three home runs was more than enough for Valparaiso to advance in the 2012 Horizon League Softball Championship Friday morning at the Valparaiso University Softball Field, as the Crusaders also got a two-hit effort in the circle from Sam McGee (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) in a 10-0 victory in six innings over Youngstown State in an elimination game. Valpo advances to face either Butler or Loyola in another elimination game at 4 p.m. on Friday.

Valparaiso senior pitcher Alex Lagesse (Beecher, Ill./Beecher) was stellar in a two-hit effort in the circle, matching Valpo’s individual single-season wins record, while the Crusaders’ offense gave her three early runs to work with as Valpo remained alive in the 2012 Horizon League Softball Championship with a 3-0 victory over UIC Thursday evening.

Top-seeded Valparaiso dropped its opening game at the 2012 Horizon League Softball Championship Thursday morning at the Valparaiso University Softball Field, falling to fifth-seeded Butler, 6-1. With the loss, the Crusaders fall into the loser’s bracket and will play again Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. against third-seeded UIC in an elimination game.