COLUMBUS, Ga. – Oklahoma City University prevailed over Mobile (Ala.) 1-0 on Monday evening at South Commons Softball Complex to reach the national championship game of the NAIA Softball World Series.
Kaitlyn Jones drove in the lone run to boost the second-ranked Stars (53-6) in upending top-ranked Mobile. Oklahoma City will take aim at its 11th national title 4 p.m. CDT (5 p.m. EDT) Wednesday as ESPN3 will broadcast the action.
The Stars advanced to the national title game for the 17th time in program history. Oklahoma City has captured 10 national championships won in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2016 and 2017. OCU has finished as national runner-up six times (1986, 1993, 1999, 2010, 2012, 2019).
Oklahoma City pushed across its run in the fourth inning. Jones bounced a single next to second base beyond the reach of shortstop Courtney Ellzey to bring home Tiffany Paul from third base. Paul sped from first to third base on the previous play as Lexi Duff's bunt took a couple of hops to the third-base side. Paul bunted her way on with one out for OCU's first hit of the game.
The Stars' Shelbey Cornelson outlasted Emily Butts in a pitcher's duel. Cornelson blanked Mobile on four hits and two walks while striking out four. Cornelson, a junior from Tuttle, Okla., moved to 36-3 this year.
Cornelson retired Mobile in order for the first 2.1 innings. Katie Head singled to left-center field for Mobile's first hit. OCU turned a double play in the fourth. Mobile left two runners on in the fifth when Jaden Morace hit a fly ball to Jones in left field.
The Stars have won their last three matchups with the No. 1-ranked team in the NAIA. OCU knocked off top-ranked Science & Arts 1-0 on May 5, 2019 and 3-1 on May 28, 2019.
Oklahoma City has taken all 10 of its national titles and made 16 of its appearances in the national championship game under Phil McSpadden. McSpadden's career record stands at 1,842-399 in his 35th year as OCU head coach. He leads college softball in wins against four-year competition, and his total stands second only to Mike Candrea, who had 1,859 wins combined at Arizona and Central Arizona. McSpadden notched career victory No. 1,800 on Feb. 19 against McPherson (Kan.) 9-0 in Chickasha, Okla.
"Each game these young ladies have found a way to grind out the win," said Bobbi Bridges, OCU assistant coach. "They are calm under pressure and never give up even with the great teams that we have played. Each team has been tough in a different way, and they have found a way to keep grinding. We are so proud of how they can focus three seconds at a time."
OCU threatened once more when Rally Radacy smashed a double off the third baseman Chloe Buck's glove with one out in the sixth inning. Butts got a couple of groundouts to snuff out the Stars' uprising.
Mobile had the tying run on when Paul collected the final out backpedaling in center field.
Jones, a junior from Edmond, Okla., went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
