COLUMBUS, Ga. – [BRACKET | SCHEDULE] Southeastern (Fla.) provided the late-inning excitement on Saturday as day three of the 2022 NAIA Softball National Championship came to a close. The Fire broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run homerun, which proved to be the difference in a 3-2 win over Oregon Tech. Both No. 1 Mobile (Ala.) and No. 2 Oklahoma City grabbed wins to remain perfect in the winner’s bracket while Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) erased a two-run deficit to take the win in the nightcap.

GAME NOTES/HIGHLIGHTS

No. 4 Oregon Tech def. No. 9 Tennessee Wesleyan, 1-0

• Kennedy Jantzi plated the first run in the bottom of the first. The Owls’ first baseman drove a ball down the third base line to score Kaila Mick and gave Oregon Tech a 1-0 lead.
• Despite allowing the first-inning run, Cheyenne Strong put together another outstanding performance. The senior allowed just two hits and a pair of walks with four strikeouts to her credit.
• Strong allowed just three hits total in both games in the 2022 World Series.
• The win was Oregon Tech’s 50^th of the season.
• Tennessee Wesleyan has now completed its first foray into the NAIA Softball World Series.
• Oregon Tech is now 18-11 all-time in World Series play.
• Both teams left four runners on-base.
• This was the fourth shutout of the 2022 World Series.
• Sarah Abramson is now two strikeouts away from the Cascade Collegiate Conference career record in strikeouts.

No. 3 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) def. No. 10 Webber International (Fla.), 3-0

• Caitlin Mitchell drove-in the game’s first run. The senior lined a single down the left field line to score Kennedy Harris and gave Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) a 1-0 lead.
• The Lions extended the lead to three, thanks to a two-run home run off the bat of Harris to make it 3-0.
• Harris’ home run was her 13^th of the year, which leads the team. It was the 51^st round-tripper for the Lions in 2022. The team from Henderson, Tenn., is ranked No. 8 in the nation in that category.
• Of all 2022 World Series Qualifiers, Freed-Hardeman ranks second in home runs. Indiana Wesleyan leads the field with 57.
• With the win, Freed-Hardeman improved to 53-5 on the season. Chloe Winters picked-up the win. The sophomore improved to 17-2 on the year.
• This was the fifth shutout of the 2022 series.

No. 2 Oklahoma City def. No. 6 Indiana Wesleyan, 6-1

• Oklahoma City relied on a little small ball to plate the first run. Tiffany Paul laid-down a near perfect sacrifice bunt to advance Kennedy Jackson across the plate to give the Stars a 1-0 lead.
• The Stars extended the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Lexi Duff hit a two-RBI single up the middle, scoring both Kennedy Jackson and Nicole Robinson to give her team a 3-0 lead.
• Jackson helped to add to the lead in the bottom of the sixth. The senior lifted a two-RBI single into left field to further build the lead to 5-0.
• Rally Radacy added another on an RBI single later in the inning to complete the scoring for the Stars.
• Miranda Wehrle drove-in the lone run for Indiana Wesleyan on a ground out to the right side.
• Indiana Wesleyan left 10 base-runners stranded in the game.
• Jackson, Radacy and Duff all finished with a pair of hits for the Stars.
• Chloe Tragesser led the Wildcat offense with a pair of hits.
• Shelby Cornelson got the win in the circle for Oklahoma City. The junior is now 35-3 on the season.
• With the victory, the Stars have secured their 133^rd all-time victory in World Series play, which leads all current and former NAIA institutions.

No. 1 Mobile (Ala.) def. No. 5 Science & Arts (Okla.), 3-0

• Kristen Black singled up the middle to drive-in Chloe Buck to give the Rams a 1-0 lead.
• Both Black and Jaden Morace ended the day with a pair of hits each.
• In the fourth, Eila Infante singled to the left side to score a pair and gave Mobile a 3-0 lead.
• Heading into the game, the Drovers’ ace Emily Cerny was 17 strikeouts away from the NAIA All-Time Career record in strikeouts (1,411). The senior finished the game with three strikeouts and 1,398 in her career.
• Sophie Williams entered in the bottom of the sixth and got her first action of the 2022 World Series. The appearance was the freshman’s 35^th of the year.
• The shutout was the sixth of the 2022 World Series and the 20^th of the season for the No. 1-seed.

No. 7 Southeastern (Fla.) def. No. 4 Oregon Tech, 3-2

• Kaila Mick crossed the plate in the top of the first to give the Owls the early lead. The sophomore advanced home on a wild pitch to take a 1-0 lead.
• Another errant throw was the cause of the tying run. Chapel Cunningham singled to right field, but throwing error from third base allowed Ashley Ellison to score and tied the game at one apiece.
• Oregon Tech’s Sarah Abramson recorded her 912^th career strikeout in the bottom of the fourth, which set a new Cascade Collegiate Conference record.
• Southeastern hit its most important home run of the season in the bottom of the sixth. Erica Stahl hit her sixth of the season to provide the game-winning run.
• Oregon Tech responded with a run in the top of the seventh, but Claire Sekinger got the final outs to secure the win for the Fire.
• With the win, Southeastern is now 4-3 all-time in World Series play.
• Both teams entered with a record of 50-12
• Home teams are now 9-2 in the 2022 World Series.

No. 3 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) def. No. 8 Grand View (Iowa), 4-2

• The games remained hitless until the bottom of the fourth.
• Julia Bastian hit a two-RBI single to left in the bottom of the fourth to give Grand View (Iowa) a 2-0 lead.
• Freed-Hardeman countered in the top of the fifth. Anna Kate Norton stroked an RBI double down the right field line, which scored Annalise Jarnagin, and cut the Lions’ deficit to 2-1.
• Sophie Dunavant followed later in the inning with an RBI single, which allowed Kennedy Harris to come home on a fielding error to give the team from Henderson, Tenn., the 3-2 lead.
• Cassie Hayes drove-in what ended-up being an insurance run in the top of the seventh to give the Lions some breathing room.
• Home teams are now 9-3 in 2022 World Series play
• Caitlin Mitchell of Freed-Hardeman got on base three times, all via walks
• Brittany Adair got the win for the Lions. The sophomore improved to 19-1 on the year after allowing two runs on just two hits with eight strikeouts to her credit.
• Grand View’s Hannah Pals was on the opposite end of the decision, but recorded seven strikeouts in her outing

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