DECATUR, Ala. - In day one of the 2009 NAIA Softball National Championships, 32 teams begin play in eight different pools. Four teams in each pool play round robin style for three days to determine one pool champion that will advance to the final eight-team bracket that will crown a national champion.  Day 1 produced one extra inning game, one victory in the bottom of the seventh, and two upsets.

Pool A Recap, Day 1

California Baptist Head Coach Mike Smith reached his 5ooth career win in the 5-1 victory over Hastings. Nina Cabrales led California Baptist with a 2-for-3 day, while Melanie Ahumada tossed a complete game, two-hitter for the win.

In a closer game, Friends held of Park in a 6-5 win. With Friends leading 2-1, both teams posted four runs in a very eventful fifth inning. However, Park could not over take Friends, falling to 0-1 in pool play.

On Friday, California Baptist will play Park at 11:30 a.m., while Friends will play Hastings at 4:30 p.m.

Pool B Recap, Day 1

Defending champions, Lubbock Christian (Texas) opened their tournament with a 5-0 shutout of Asbury (Ky.) . Alyssa Gutierrez allowed just one hit and struck out seven hitters in her 5.1 innings of work before being lifted.

The other game in Pool B also produced a shutout with Shorter (Ga.) blanking Morningside (Iowa) 4-0. Libby Munson earned the win with a complete game effort, allowing just three hits while striking out nine batters.

On Friday, Lubbock Christian plays Morningside at 12:00 p.m., while Shorter plays Asbury at 5:00 p.m.

Pool C Recap, Day 1

Dickinson State (N.D.) made quick work of their opening contest with a 10-0, five inning victory over Northwood (Texas). Dickinson State scored seven runs in the second inning to put the game out of reach early. Eight players for Dickenson State recorded a hit, while Sara Jane Webster led the team with four RBI, all coming on her grand slam in the second.

In what was the tightest game in the first half of the day, Concordia (Calif.) scored a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat Missouri Valley 1-0. Katie Carson reached base on an error by Missouri Valley. Back-to-back singles by Alicia Lucatero and Carly Smith moved Carson around, scoring on the hit by Smith.

On Friday, Dickinson State plays Missouri Valley at 12:30 p.m., while Concordia plays Northwood at 5:30 p.m.

Pool D Recap, Day 1

Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) posted a 5-0 shutout over Holy Names (Calif.) . Milissa Gomez tossed six innings, allowing just four hits to earn the win, while also leading the team with three RBI in the victory.

Madonna (Mich.) rallied to defeat McKendree (Ill.) 3-1. After McKendree took an early lead with a run in the bottom of the third inning, Madonna answered back with two runs to take the lead in the fourth. Madonna scored an insurance run in the top of the seventh to lead 3-1. Jess Irwin pitched around a two-out triple in the bottom of the seventh by McKendree's Nicole Ostertag to earn the complete game win.

On Friday, Point Loma Nazarene plays McKendree at 1:00 p.m., while Madonna plays Holy Names at 6:00 p.m.

Pool E Recap, Day 1

Pool E produced the first upset of the day with No. 25 Notre Dame (Ohio) knocking off No. 12 Brenau (Ga.) 5-1.  Notre Dame's Tara Meyer tossed a complete game in the win, allowing just the on run on five hits.  Mallory Harder had three RBI.

No. 5 William Carey (Miss.) won in their first tournament game with a 6-2 victory over Waldorf (Iowa).  Kelsy Smith allowed just three hits, two runs, one earned run, for the win.  Tan Montgomery led William Carey with a 3-for-4 day.

On Friday, William Carey will play Notre Dame at 9:00 a.m., while Brenau plays Waldorf at 2:00 p.m.

Pool F Recap, Day 1

No. 6 Oklahoma City used the combined pitching of Amber Metzger and Leah Hensley to defeat Bethel (Tenn.) 3-0.  Six different players for Oklahoma City recorded one hit each, but used three Bethel (Tenn.) errors to spark the victory.

Despite being out-hit by Georgetown (Ky.), Simon Fraser (Canada) rolled in a 6-1 win.  Three of the six Simon Fraser runs were unearned.  Both teams scored a run each in the first, but Simon Fraser added three in the second and two more insurance runs in the seventh to seal the win.

On Friday, Simon Fraser plays Bethel (Tenn.) at 2:00 p.m., while Oklahoma City plays Georgetown at 9:30 a.m.

Pool G Recap, Day 1

No. 7 St. Gregory's (Okla.) rallied from a 1-0 first inning deficit to defeat Savannah Art & Design (Ga.) 5-1.  St. Gregory's rode the offense of Jessica Reed (2-for-3, 2 RBI), and the arm of Sharon Bell with 13 strikeouts to get the win.

Saint Xavier (Ill.) shutout Houston-Victoria (Texas) 4-0.  Jalyn Shearer scattered six hits from in her complete game win for Saint Xavier.

On Friday, Saint Xavier plays St. Gregory's at 10:00 a.m., while Houston-Victoria plays SCAD at 3:00 p.m.

Pool H Recap, Day 1

Martin Methodist (Tenn.), ranked No. 9 in the final NAIA ranking, was the highest seed to loss on day one, in what was the only extra inning game of day one.  The College of Idaho pulled used one extra frame to pull the upset, 3-2 (8).  Idaho led 2-0 going into the top of the seventh inning, before Martin Methodist tied the game at 2-2.  However, an RBI single from Haley Butcher drove in Brittany Wenzel for the winning run.  Wenzel singled to lead off the inning.

No. 8 Bethel (Ind.) used an eight-run seventh inning to pull away in a 10-1 win over Virginia-Wise.  Virginia-Wise scored first with a run in the bottom of the third, but single runs by Bethel (Ind.) in the fourth and fifth innings put them up 2-1.  Eight runs in the top of the seventh, including homeruns from Katie Boocher and Kaitlin Dubois.  The two combined for six of the team's 10 RBI.

On Friday, Martin Methodist plays Virginia-Wise at 3:30 p.m., while Bethel (Ind.) plays Idaho at 10:30 a.m.

-NAIA-