Softball Sinks USAO in Thrilling Fashion to Advance to NAIA World Series Championship
| Final (8) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Science and Arts | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
|
Our Lady of the Lake | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
COLUMBUS, GA. (May 28, 2024) - The NAIA No. 1-ranked Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) softball team roared back to defeat the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) in the semifinals of the NAIA World Series. The Saints move on to the championship game, where they will need to win just once to claim the title.
History
The Saints were 2-2 against the Drovers in the series history. OLLU beat USAO twice this season in February.
Basics
The Drovers struck first early in the contest. They plated two runs in the top of the second inning which also included a fielding error by the Saints. Grace Ross responded in the bottom of the frame with a solo home run over the left field fence. The Drovers tacked on another run in the fifth inning when they scored from third base on a passed ball. Cassandra Valdez regrouped by hitting a double down the line in the bottom of the inning to score Kristee Salas. Madison Garza followed with a single that knotted the game 3-3. Both scoring plays were with two outs. AJ Flores was the hero for the Saints in the eighth inning. She hit a home run over the center field fence to surge the Saints into the championship game. Valdez picked up another win in the circle after pitching a complete game with eight strikeouts. The Saints will look to make program history tomorrow.
Hear from Head Coach Bruce Lenington and AJ Flores.
Up next
The Saints will wait to see who they will face in the championship game tomorrow at 5 p.m. Eastern Time. The opposing team will need to win twice to win the championship.
