Story by Chad Waller, Director of Communications & Sports Information
Pictures courtesy of Rick Dominowski, Click HERE to order

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – (Box Score) Cat Maldonado’s fifth-inning home run broke a 1-1 tie and sent No. 6 Southeastern (Fla.) to an eventual 4-1 victory over two-time defending national champion No. 2 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) tonight at the 36th Annual NAIA Softball World Series, presented by Security National Bank and Morningside College. Southeastern remains undefeated in the winner’s bracket (2-0) and plays the other undefeated team No. 4 Saint Xavier (Ill.) Tuesday at 7 p.m. CDT.

Maldonado flexed her power, smashing a home run for the third-straight game dating back to the National Championship Opening Round. She now leads the team with 13 roundtrippers. Tonight’s blast was a three-run shot on a 2-2 count off of Warhawk pitcher Taylor Powell. Maldonado now has gone 3-for-7 with five RBIs in two games in Sioux City.

Leading up to Maldonado’s homer, Taylor Stoltz scored on a Brandee Pietrzak ground-out to tie the game at 1-1.

Auburn Montgomery took a 1-0 lead in the visitor half of the third inning. Katie Brinkman led off with a walk, advanced on a Jennifer Jenkins sacrifice and crossed home on a Powell single.

Fire pitcher Lindsie Scholwinski, who has thrown all 14.0 innings in the World Series for Southeastern, made the pitches she needed to under pressure. She stranded eight runners in the effort and moved to 33-8 on the year. She allowed one run on seven hits, walked three and struck out five.

Powell dropped the decision to fall to 34-4 on the year. She gave up four runs on seven hits, while fanning six batters. The loss was a first for Powell in her last 15 pitching appearances dating back to April 9 – a 1-0 loss to Brenau (Ga.).

Bri Girardin led the Fire with a 2-for-3 effort from the plate.

Auburn Montgomery finished with seven base hits – all singles. Hayden Henderson and Sarah Angulo each pieced together two hits.

Overall, Southeastern compiled four stolen bases.

Auburn Montgomery falls down in the loser’s bracket and now matches up with No. 3 St. Gregory’s (Okla.) Tuesday at 4 p.m.

Stretch Internet, the NAIA’s official video-streaming company of NAIA national championship events, will be broadcasting all 19 games of the 2016 NAIA Softball World Series on the NAIA Network. The All-World Series package can be purchased for $29.95 or the day package for $9.95. For more information, including how to register for an account, click here.

The double-elimination event is being played out at the Elizabeth & Irving Jensen Softball Complex. The City of Sioux City and Morningside College serve as official hosts for the second-straight time. For more information on the 2016 NAIA Softball World Series, click here.