Columbus, Ga. – [Schedule] [Bracket] [Tickets] The 2024 NAIA Softball World Series continued today at South Commons Softball Complex as four more amazing games were played that ended the season of two more teams. A little bad weather halted play ahead of game two starting, but once the games began in the afternoon; it was nothing but slugging, defensive battles, and pitching duels.

Game 9: No. 4 Cumberlands (Ky.) def. No. 2 Oklahoma City, 4-1

• Game nine, which is the first of four on day three of the NAIA Softball World Series started with some action right away as the first swing of the bat was nearly down in right field but was called out on Oklahoma City.
• The Stars responded on their next two at-bats with Kaitlyn Jones hitting a double to right center followed by Kamryn Garvie walking to first.
• After a fielder choice out at third base by the Patriots, the Stars flew out to right field as Cumberlands (Ky.) stepped to the plate for the first time in the game.
• UC lit up the scoreboard first in the bottom of the first inning after an OCU error on the throw down to second base allowed Carly Oliver to score, Jade Gainer advanced to third on the same error and was able to score just moments later on a perfectly placed sac bunt form Makenzie Keatts to lead 2-0 after the first inning.
• Oklahoma City leadoff batter Amy Crabaugh dropped one over the head of Cumberlands (Ky.) right fielder for a stand-up double.
• Crabaugh was then moved to third base on a groundout to second as OCU looked to get on the board and cut the lead in half but stranded her as Lindsey Shope struck out the side swinging in the top of the fourth.
• Tiffany Paul reached first base for the Stars on a UC error at first, but it didn’t matter as Carly Oliver made a diving catch for the second out and then threw over to first to complete the inning-ending double play and preserve their 2-0 lead.
• Shelbey Cornelson for the Stars in the bottom of the third, faced three batters and retired three as Cumberlands (Ky.) fell in order to end the third inning.
• After Tara Hoehner singled up the middle and Crabaugh reached first on a UC error, the Stars lit up the scoreboard as Kindalyn Miller doubled to deep left-center for Hoehner to score and cut the lead in half with two outs.
• Talli Burgess came into the circle for Shope in the top of the fourth inning and struck out the side preserving the 2-1 lead as the Patriots stranded a pair of OCU runners on base to get UC out of the inning.
• The Patriots got out of the inning with runners on first and second as the Stars, through four and a half innings have stranded seven runners.
• Jade Gainer nearly sent one over the left field wall but didn’t have the height as she reached second base for a one-out double as Makenzie Keatts stepped to the plate.
• The Cumberlands (Ky.) catcher Amber Atkins roped a two-out RPI single to shallow right-center field driving Gainer in to push across the third run of the game.
• The Patriots extended their lead after a lengthy video review to 4-1 as Cloe Smith crossed home plate before the third out was applied on Turnbow at third base ending the inning.
• Cumberlands (Ky.) knocked off the second-seeded Oklahoma City in the first of two elimination games of the day to extend their stay to Game 13 on Monday.

Game 10: No. 8 Madonna (Mich.) def. No. 10 Southern Oregon, 4-3

• After a weather delay pushed the start time to 3:30 p.m. EST Madonna (Mich.) and Southern Oregon got underway.
• Southern Oregon was on track to have the first base runner aboard after the delayed start, but Madonna (Mich.) had a different idea on that as left fielder Reagon Finkbeiner changed in to make the diving grab on the dirt for the first out of the game.
• The Crusaders got the first base runner of the game aboard in the bottom of the first as Finkbeiner dropped a single into left field with one out as she stole second on the first pitch to Ashley Rosiewicz.
• Rosiewicz moved the runner to third base as she grounded out to the Raiders shortstop but was stranded there on a groundout to second base.
• SOU broke the scoring open in the top of the second as leadoff batter Jordan Henderson put a hit on a rope down the left field line and over the wall to lead MU 1-0 early.
• After a single through the right side by Piper Love, back-to-back outs left her on base as the Crusaders stepped back to the plate.
• Madonna fell in order in the bottom of the second inning on a groundout to short, second, and then a fly out to right field.
• Faith Moultrie singled to left field, but two at-bats later, found her way to third after she swiped second and proceeded to take third at the same time on the rouge throw from the Crusaders catcher as she was later left on the bag on an unassisted groundout to first.
• Madonna (Mich.) got on the board with a two-run, shot to right center field as Alissa Gauthier turned a deficit into an advantage with one swing of the bat to lead 2-1 after three frames.
• Hailey Seva knotted the game at 2-2 for SOU on an RBI double to left field that bounced off the wall, two batters later, she stood on third base as the Raiders looked to retake the lead with a pair of outs.
• Brooke Nordahl did just that as she dropped a hit down the left field line for the 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth.
• In the bottom of the fifth inning, Faith Moultrie was called out on the advancement to third base for what was the second out at the time, but after head coach Jessica Pistole burnt her first replay challenge of the game, the call was overturned giving SOU runners on the corners and only one out.
• The runners on the corners turned into runners on second and third after the preceding pitch as Christina Tadvick stole second, but the steal didn’t matter after the fly out to center field as the Raiders continued to lead Madonna 3-2.
• The Crusaders came into the bottom of the fifth inning as the first two batters walked. After a single by Rosiewicz to load the bases, Jessica Dunkel reached on fielder choice to third as SOU attempted to get the lead runner out, but the error allowed Madonna to tie the game at 3-3.
• In the next MU at-bat, Mackenzie Ming hit a sac fly to center field for the 4-3 lead as Gauthier scored the go-ahead run.
• Both sides went three up and three down in the sixth inning as Madonna continued to lead 4-3 in the elimination game.
• Madonna (Mich.) got the job done to extend their stay into game 14 on Monday as the defending national champions were unable to make the seventh-inning comeback and fell 4-3.

Game 11: No. 1 Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) def. No. 5 Oregon Tech, 3-0

• Oregon Tech put action on the base paths right away as Nita Cook reached first safely on a throwing error followed by a Puakea Milbourne single to left field for runners on first and second with only one out.
• Back-to-back popups in the infield ended the inning as Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) got set for their first chance to plate a run.
• The Saints leadoff batter climbed aboard as Cassandra Valdez pulled one to left field. After a fly out to left field, Valdez easily stole second to put herself in scoring position.
• OLLU continued to put runners on base as Natalie Rodriguez reached first on the fielding error from the Owls shortstop for runners on the corners and one out.
• A squid hit from Alyssa Flores that dribbled to second base for the second out of the inning was the hit needed to light up the scoreboard for the Saints.
• After a hit by a pitch on Ava Hernandez, Kayla Dreese hit an RBI single to score Natalie Rodriguez for the 3-0 lead.
• Both pitchers for the Saints and Owls turned it on in the second inning as neither team was able to get traffic on the base paths in the hitless second frame.
• Valez protected OLLU’s lead in the top of the third inning as she recorded her third, fourth, and fifth strikeouts of the game.
• After two blank innings, OLLU threatened to extend their lead in the bottom of the fourth with two outs and runners on first and second as Valdez stepped to the plate, but the Owls caught the high fly ball down the left field line to get out of the inning with no damage.
• OIT continued to leave the bases empty into the top of the fifth inning as Valdez struck out the side again to raise her total to nine on the day.
• It wasn’t until the top of the sixth inning, that OIT had some traffic back on the base paths, but it came with two outs as Milbourne walked and Lexi Klum singled through the left side for runners on first and second, who were later stranded after a popup in foul territory was caught for the final out of the inning.
• Two great plays from the Owls first baseman, Milbourne put a pair of outs on the board in the bottom of the sixth followed by an inning-ending strikeout for one last chance to get some runs on the board, but the on-point Valdez for OLLU was not about to let that happen as she allowed just one base runner in the top of the seventh before she received the game-ending ground out.

Game 12: No. 6 Science & Arts (Okla.) def. No. 7 Jessup (Calif.), 5-4

• Jessup (Calif.) picked up where they left off yesterday as Sarah Giles lit up the scoreboard on a deep drive to left-center field for the two-out solo home run.
• In the bottom of the inning, a quick ground out from a sac bunt was recorded, which set up the double play to end the inning on the next at-bat, as Sierra Selfridge grounded out to second base and Malea McMurtrey was tagged out at home.
• Sophie Williams came alive in the top of the second to get the Drovers back on offense as she struck out back-to-back batters to get out of the inning.
• The Warriors doubled their lead in the top of the third inning after Kaylee Winn doubled to left center on a one-hopper to the wall and allowed Sam Lorge and Giles to score for a 4-0 lead.
• USAO looked to get a run or two on the board in the bottom of the third inning as Kinzie Williams singled to shortstop and Macenzie Ruth singled up the middle for runners on first and second, the fielder's choice at second by the Warriors preserved their lead.
• The Drovers posted a one, two, three-inning in the top of the fourth, after a leadoff out against USAO in the bottom of the inning, Leighanne Easton and Williams singled down opposite foul lines for runners on the corner and only one out.
• Eaton scored on the next at-bat to plate the first Science & Arts (Okla.) run of the game to cut the margin to 4-1 as the game headed to the fifth inning.
• USAO cleaned up their defense in the top of the fifth after an error led things off that allowed Jessup (Calif.) to have traffic on the base paths., but the error never harmed the Drovers as the second, third, and fourth batters of the inning fell in order.
• Science & Arts (Okla.) began to pick up some momentum in the bottom of the fifth as McMurtrey singled to third and Ruth singled up the middle for runners on first and second.
• Selfridge followed with a well-hit single of her own up the middle that allowed McMurtrey to cut the deficit in half with one out and two runners on base.
• Proceeding a Jessup pitching change, the Warriors looked to pick off the runner at third base, but a rouge throw over JU’s third basemen's head gave the Drovers their third run of the game.
• Science & Arts (Okla.) continued to tack runs on in the bottom of the inning as Jordan Ramsay scored on the single to left field, then advanced to third on the throw home to knot the nightcap up at 4-4.
• Williams drove in the go-ahead run on a two-out single to center field for the 5-4 lead to flip the game and all momentum that was present as the USAO fan base in attendance were on their feet.
• The Warriors were able to get out of the inning on the ground out to third base, but with the four runs, five hits, and two errors in that inning they now trailed as Williams stepped back into the circle for the Drovers.
• Jessup (Calif.) continued to battle in the top of the sixth with two outs as a single to second and a walk placed the tying run at second and the go-ahead run on first, but USAO got out of the jam on a flyout to center field.
• Head coach Jadyn Wallis used her second video review challenge in the bottom of the sixth inning as Ruth was initially called out at first base, which was their second out of the inning; after a brief pause in play for official review the call was overturned to load the bases with only one out.
• Jessup (Calif.) responded to the overturned call and doubled the Drovers to get out of the inning and send the game into the seventh as the Warriors were down to their final three outs of the game.
• The Warriors pushed in the top of the seventh to make the comeback, but after JU was down to their final out of the game with a pair of runners on base Williams got the strike three call for the final out of the game as the Drover dugout and fan base went crazy at South Commons.

After 12 games in three days, the six remaining teams will get some much-needed rest from the Georgia sun and heat. NAIA Softball World Series action will pick back up on Monday, May 27 as the day opens with two elimination bracket games. The first will be No. 4 Cumberlands (Ky.) who look to pick up their third win in that bracket, while No. 5 Oregon Tech will play their first elimination bracket game at 1 p.m. EST. The second elimination bracket game will feature No. 8 Madonna as they look to pick up their second win since dropping to the consolation side, their opponent will be No. 7 Jessup (Calif.) with the first pitch of that game set for 4 p.m. EST. In the final game of the night, we will move to the Championship side of the bracket as No. 1 Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) will square off against No. 6 Science & Arts (Okla.) at 7 p.m. EST as both teams look to have Tuesday off and play for the 2024 National Championship at 5 p.m. EST on Wednesday, May 29.

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