COLUMBUS, Ga. – The final six teams are set in the 2021 NAIA Softball World Series. College of Idaho and Oregon Tech will face each other Monday at 7:00 PM EST in the winner’s bracket for a chance at the championship game. Mount Mercy (Iowa), Southern Oregon, Madonna (Mich.) and Bethany (Kan.) will battle to stay alive in the elimination bracket.  

No. 1 Southern Oregon defeats No. 9 Bethany (Kan.), 6-1 | Box Score

• The final game of the night was cut short due to weather, but Southern Oregon took an early 1-0 lead over Bethany (Kan.) before the game was paused at the bottom of the 4^th inning.
• Southern Oregon had four hits, led by Allie Stines who hit a solo homerun in the second inning. This marks Stines fourth homerun of the season.
• With full sunshine Saturday, the game resumed at 10 AM EST
• Bethany (Kan.) capitalized on a walk from Southern Oregon getting Millenni Lucero on base after stealing second she scored on a single from Kayla Eggly to tie the game.
• The tie game was cut short in the bottom of the fifth. To start the inning the Raiders managed to lay down a squeeze bunt to spark the aggressive base running adding four more runs on only three hits.
• Gabby Sandoval collected her 30^th win in the circle a two-hit, nine-strikeout performance in which she worked around seven walks
• Sandoval is now No. 2 in the NAIA for pitching wins this season.

No. 7 Mount Mercy (Iowa) defeats No. 5 Ottawa (Kan.) 1-0 | Box Score

• Mount Mercy (Iowa) fought to stay another day battling through the elimination bracket in their first-ever trip to the NAIA Softball World Series
• Game two of day three at the World Series was battle in the circle. Both pitchers played well totaling 21 stirkeouts combined.
• Jayna Witzany collected the win pitching all 7 innings striking out 14 of the 22 at bats.
• The lone run of the game came in the top of the fifth inning. Jade Sharp of the Mustangs singled to second and then advanced to second on a walk and then scored off of error from the Ottawa (Kan.) third baseman.
• It was a defensive batter on the dirt, totaling one error throughout seven innings which decided the final outcome.
• Ottawa (Kan.) finishes their season with an overall record of 45-7
• Mount Mercy pitcher, Jayna Witzany (23-7) has yet to allow a run in the World Series. She tossed a 3-hit shutout against 10th-seeded Houston-Victoria on Thursday, then limited Ottawa (Kan.) to three more hits while striking out 14 batters on Saturday.

No. 8 Bethany (Kan.) defeats No. 10 Houston-Victoria (Texas), 3-1 | Box Score

• In the last elimination game of day, Bethany (Kan.) fought to stay alive ending Houston-Victoria’s first-ever trip to the World Series
•  Using a pair of hits and swifty base running, Bethany (Kan.) struck first, scoring one in the bottom of the second inning.
• In the top of the fourth Houston-Victoria’s Krystal Rodriguez and Kaylle Acosta both singled, finding an answer to the lone run scored previously by Bethany.
• The Swedes regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth with three hits, earning two runs Bethany (Kan.) would maintain that lead until the final.
• Despite the low score both teams had ample opportunities to score leaving 12 on base through the entirety of the game.
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No. 4 College of Idaho defeats No. 1 Southern Oregon, 6-4 | Box Score

• The Raiders took the field for a second time on Saturday to face the Yotes of College of Idaho
• In a back and forth battle, the Yotes knock off No. 1 Southern Oregon undefeated in the NAIA Softball World Series
• Bringing the energy, Hattie Hruza hit her first homerun plating two in the top of the second.
• Defending national champions, Southern Oregon responded with one run off two Yotes errors making the score 2-1 after two innings.
• Southern Oregon pieced together timely hits to take the lead in the bottom of the third scoring three runs on three hits paired with one error.
• In the top of the fourth Hruza slammed her second homerun of the night over center field on a full count allowing the Yotes to cut the lead one run.
• A turning point came for the C of I in the top of fifth when as Hannah Mikel hit a key pinch hit, two-run single in to give C of I the lead for good.
• The loss tonight will require Southern Oregon to win five straight elimination in order to repeat their national championship title.

No. 2 Oregon Tech defeats No. 6 Madonna (Mich.), 5-4 | Box Score

• It was a slow starting game under the lights in the final game of the night until the third inning when Madonna woke up the bats
• Two out singles by Pezzoni and Dolloff were key to the inning. Keying Madonna to earn four hits total resulting in three runs. Allowing Madonna to take an early 3-0 lead.
• Tech immediately cuts the deficit on a two-out. Kaila Mich had a two RBI single followed by Krista Ward with another RBI single to tie the game 3-3.
• In the fifth inning a sacrifice fly from Kaila Mick gave Oregon their first lead of the game 4-3.
• Determined not to let the game end, Madonna had a two-out, two-strike RBI double to tie up the game yet again eventually forcing extra innings.
• Maggie Buckholz ended the game for Oregon Tech with a walkoff home run.
• The Owls will now face College of Idaho Monday at 7 PM EST for a chance at the championship game.
• Madonna (Mich.) will play Bethany (Kan.) for a chance to battle back in the elimination bracket.