COLUMBUS, Ga. – Three close games determined the remaining four teams in the 2021 NAIA Softball World Series. Oregon Tech remains the only undefeated team in World Series play and is set to play in the championship on Wednesday at 5:00 PM at South Commons Field. Southern Oregon, Bethany (Kan.), College of Idaho will battle it out on Tuesday for remaining spot in the title game.

No. 1 Southern Oregon defeats No. 7 Mount Mercy (Iowa), 8-4 | Box Score

• The Raiders are looking to make history as only one of the last 11 national champions have come out of the elimination bracket at the World Series. The climbed their first hurdle defeating the Mount Mercy (Iowa), 8-4 on Monday afternoon.
• The Mustangs set the tone in the first inning scoring two runs off of Jess Heick's double.
• The Raiders answered scoring three runs in the second. Riley Donovan started Southern Oregon out with a double to right-center. Tayler Walker then singled to bring Donovan home. Olivia Mackey tripled deep down the left field line to earn and RBI. Southern Oregon would score more run in the inning off a Mustang third base error.
• Slinging together a single and a double Southern Oregon earned another run in the top of the third. And another Mount Mercy error allowed a second run to be scored taking the lead 5-2.
• Mount Mercy cut the deficit in the bottom of the third scoring two runs on two hits.
• The Raiders were up 5-4 in the top of the seventh, when Walker hit a sacrifice fly. A misplay on Katrina Winterburn's hard-hit bouncer to second base enabled two more runs to score.
• A key for the win was stopping Mustang pitcher, Jayna Witzany who had an amazing run in the circle at the World Series. We struck out 24 over 14 scoreless innings in her two starts. During the match up Monday afternoon Witzany was only able to get one Raider on strikes. The junior (23-8) broke the school's single-season strikeout mark on Saturday.
• The Raiders have won 12 of their last 14 national tournament elimination games dating back to 2017. They will continue their comeback journey on Tuesday at 4:00 PM EST playing Bethany (Kan.)
• Mount Mercy closed out their season and first-ever World Series trip with an overall record of 38-17.

No. 9 Bethany (Kan.) defeats No. 6 Madonna (Mich.), 5-4| Box Score

• The Swedes bats were rolling as they put five on the board in the afternoon game against Madonna (Mich.). to stay in Columbus, Ga. another day.
• Bethany took a 1-0 lead at the start of the game scoring in the first off a sacrifice fly.
• Brooklyn Dollhoff single handedly ignited the Madonna offense with a two run blast in the bottom of the second to make the score 2-1.
• Cierra Flores follows it up with a solo homerun of her own for Bethany to start the top of the third. The Swedes who score two more runs that inning to take back the lead making the score 4-2.
• Staying in the game the Crusaders scored a run in both the bottom of the fifth and the six to tie the game up yet again.
• It was Rayleen Castro's second hit of the game that drove in Millenni Lucero that became the key to the Swede victory.
• Following the run Bethany defense would get three quick outs to advance in the bracket.
• Ciera Flores went three for three in the box knocking one out of the fence. The home run put her tied in the school record book for most home runs in a season with 16.
• On the mound for the Swedes was Samantha Quezada who went the full seven innings as she recorded her twenty-eight complete game of the season.
• Madonna ends their season with a record of 35-10
• Bethany will play Southern Oregon Tuesday afternoon at 4 PM EST

No. 2 Oregon Tech defeats No. 4 College of Idaho, 4-1 | Box Score

• Under the stadium lights, the Owls of Oregon Tech and the Yotes of College of Idaho fought for a bid to the national championship game in the final game of night.
• This was Oregon Tech and College of Idaho ninth meeting this season as they both are in the Cascade Collegiate Conference.
• The Owls brought hot bats to win the conference battle scoring right away in the first inning with two runs on two hits.
• College of Idaho scored their lone run in the bottom of the third when Trystin Crofts hit a sacrifice fly to right allowing Haley Loffer to score making the score 2-1.
• The Owls capitalized on two errors in the top of the fifth inning to score two runs extending their lead 4-1.
• This is the best the Yotes have done in the post season in program history officially passing their previous fifth place finish in 2014.
• Oregon Tech will play one of the three remaining teams in the title game on Wednesday at 5:00 PM EST