COLUMBUS, Ga. – [BRACKET | SCHEDULE] Survive and advance is the name of the game in the latter stages of the NAIA Softball World Series, and Southeastern (Fla.) did just that. Thanks to a four-run rally in the top of the sixth, the team from Lakeland, Fla., took a late lead and never surrendered it in a 4-2 win to lead-off play on Memorial Day. Science & Arts (Okla.) followed with a dominant first inning against Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) while Oklahoma City survived a pitcher’s duel to advance to Wednesday’s title game, 1-0.

GAME NOTES/HIGHLIGHTS

No. 7 Southeastern (Fla.) def. No. 6 Indiana Wesleyan, 4-2

• Becca Wyatt energized her Wildcats in the top of the second. The sophomore made a diving catch to steal a hit from Erica Stahl in left field to record the first out.
• In the bottom of the third, Indiana Wesleyan took a two-run lead. Makenna Pace delivered a two-RBI double, which scored both Julianne Bell and Elisa Koshy.
• Southeastern’s Haleigh Harrell kept the Fire in it with a big play in the bottom of the third. The junior made a running catch coming in from center and threw out Jennah Yost at home for the double play to end the inning.
• The Fire took the lead in the top of the sixth. Stahl got her big hit and drove in the first run of the game for the team from Lakeland on a single to left.
• Ashley Ellison doubled down the right field line, which scored both Stahl and Harrell to give the Fire the lead for good. Earlier in the contest, Ellison turned a spectacular double play to end the fifth inning.
• Chapel Cunningham singled-in an insurance run later in the inning.
• Claire Sekinger was fantastic in the circle. The freshman hurler fanned seven batters, including the final out, and allowed just two runs on five hits with a pair of walks.

No. 5 Science & Arts (Okla.) def. No. 3 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.), 6-0

• Science & Arts (Okla.) jumped all over Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) in the bottom of the first. A throwing error from Sophie Dunavant accounted for the first run as Macenzie Ruth rounded the bases to make it 1-0.
• A pair of four-pitch walks led to a pitching change for Freed-Hardeman on the first two batters of the game.
• Jaclyn Gray doubled soon after, which scored Suni Meely from second, to make it 2-0.
• Savannah Ashford drove in the third run of the game on the 15^th pitch of her at-bat. The first baseman hit an RBI infield single against Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) reliever Chloe Winters
• The Drovers sent 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first (two doubles, two stolen bases)
• Sophie Williams capped the scoring for the Drovers in the first with a two-RBI double off the wall in left to make it 5-0.
• Science & Arts continued its offensive explosion in the third. Sierra Selfridge homered to left field, her sixth and 43^rd RBI of the season.
• Emily Cerny recorded eight strikeouts in the game. The senior is now six strikeouts away from breaking the NAIA career strikeout record of 1,411.
• Cerny allowed just two hits in the game, one in the first, one in the seventh, to secure her 33^rd win of the season. The shutout was her 23^rd of the year.

No. 2 Oklahoma City def. No. 1 Mobile (Ala.), 1-0

• A pitcher’s duel broke out in the final game of the day as both Shelbey Cornelson and Emily Butts went to work in the circle. Cornelson allowed just four hits in the game with four strikeouts to her credit.
• Oklahoma City broke through against Butts in the top of the fourth. Kaitlyn Jones singled up the middle to score Tiffany Paul from second to give the Stars a 1-0 lead. Jones finished the day 2-for-3 at the plate with the lone RBI.
• Oklahoma City leads the 2022 NAIA World Series in ERA with a .033 following Monday’s shutout victory.
• Butts allowed just four hits and one run in her outing. It was her first loss of the season.
• Mobile left six runners stranded in the game.
• Katie Head led the Rams’ offense on Monday evening. The sophomore recorded two hits in the game.
• Cornelson is holding opposing batters to .171 at the plate in the 2022 World Series.
• Monday evening’s shutout was the eighth of the 2022 World Series

COVERAGE

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