Softball Captures First National Championship in Win Over Jessup

COLUMBUS, GA. (May 29, 2024) - The NAIA No. 1-ranked Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) softball squad defeated Jessup University 2-0 to secure their first NAIA National Championship title. The Saints finish the season at 57-3 overall and won all four games at the NAIA World Series. 

History

This was the first matchup between the two programs.

Basics

The No. 1 seed Saints squared up against No. 7 seed Jessup in the national championship on Wednesday. The Saints advanced in the winners bracket, meaning they only needed to win once to claim the title. The Warriors would have needed to beat the Saints twice. The Saints plated their first run in the third inning. Marissa Bradley singled down the left field line to score Kayla Dreese from second base. The Saints held the lead and tacked on another run in the sixth frame. Madison Garza smacked a home run over the left field fence to give the Saints an insurance run. Cassandra Valdez shut down the Warriors in the seventh inning and the Saints claimed their first title in program history. Valdez pitched a complete game with five strikeouts and finishes the season at 30-1. 

Hear from Head Coach Bruce Lenington, Assistant Coach Jody Armijo and Cassandra Valdez. 

The Saints conclude the season at 57-3 overall. This was the first national championship for any sport at OLLU.