DECATUR, Ala. – Simon Fraser (British Columbia) dealt Oklahoma City University a 7-6 loss, putting the Stars into the losers bracket of the NAIA Championships on Tuesday at Wilson Morgan Softball Complex.
Ninth-ranked OCU (44-13) will play top-ranked defending champion California Baptist (64-3) at 11 a.m. Wednesday to get into the national championship game at 3 p.m. against 14th-ranked Simon Fraser (27-14). Earlier Tuesday, OCU stayed in the winner's bracket with a 5-1 win over 13th-ranked William Carey (Miss.).
Against Simon Fraser, OCU left seven runners on base. The Stars rallied to take the lead 5-4 in the fourth inning.
LeeAnn Lopez and Jen Davis had back-to-back singles for OCU, then Amanda Howard walked to load the bases. Autumn Mayberry cleared the bases with a triple to left-center field for a 4-4 tie game. Lily LaVelle added a double to left-center to score Mayberry, putting OCU in front 5-4.
In the bottom of the fourth, Simon Fraser responded with two runs. Kelsey Haberl had an RBI groundout. Chrissy Caviglia scored from third base on an OCU error.
Simon Fraser scored the eventual decisive run on Caviglia's RBI base hit down the left-field foul line in the fifth.
Nathalie Timmermans drove in a run on a single to left in the sixth to cut OCU's deficit to 7-6. Simon Fraser got out of the sixth and retired OCU in order in the seventh to put away Simon Fraser's seventh title-game appearance in program history.
Mayberry, a redshirt freshman from Mustang, Okla., went 2-for-3 with a run scored and three RBIs, while LaVelle, a sophomore from Bridge Creek, Okla., went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Davis, a senior from Muscatine, Iowa, went 2-for-3 with a run driven in. Timmermans, a sophomore from Oldenzaal, Netherlands, went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Against William Carey, OCU built a 5-0 lead in the top of the sixth. The Stars scored first on LaVelle's sacrifice fly in the first inning. Laurin Hess led off the second with a home run.
Howard scored on an error, then Timmermans had an RBI single in the third. Kelby Roberson drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth for OCU.
Howard went 2-for-4 and scored twice, while Timmermans went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Hess hit her second homer of the year.
LaVelle fanned seven in 5.2 innings to pick up the victory. Ashley Wilburn struck out Jeana Erickson with two runners on to end the sixth, then finished the game in the circle for OCU to notch a save.
OCU-WCU Boxscore
OCU-SFU Boxscore
NAIA Championships
At Decatur, Ala.
Wilson Morgan Complex
Monday's Results
Oklahoma City 2, California Baptist 0
William Carey (Miss.) 8, Bethel (Ind.) 6, 8 inn.
Simon Fraser (British Columbia) 4, Belhaven (Miss.) 2
Shorter (Ga.) 3, Trevecca Nazarene (Tenn.) 1
Tuesday's Results
California Baptist 3, Bethel 1, Bethel eliminated
Belhaven 5, Trevecca Nazarene 3, Trevecca Nazarene eliminated
Oklahoma City 5, William Carey 1
Simon Fraser 1, Shorter 0
California Baptist 3, Shorter 2, Shorter eliminated
William Carey 3, Belhaven 2, Belhaven eliminated
Simon Fraser 7, Oklahoma City 6
California Baptist 10, William Carey 3, William Carey eliminated
Wednesday's Games
Game 13: California Baptist vs. Oklahoma City, 11 a.m.
Game 14: Simon Fraser vs. Winner Game 13, 3 p.m., championship
Game 15: If necessary, 30 minutes following Game 14
