Game Time...(RV) Northwestern College will play No.8 and top-seed Southern Oregon on Tuesday, May 15 in a winner's bracket game of the Southern Oregon Bracket at the 2018 NAIA Softball National Championship. First pitch at US Cellular Field has been moved up to 11am (CST) due to the predicted storms later in the day. Northwestern is 1-0 in bracket play, 36-11 overall, and the host Raiders are 1-0 in bracket play, 45-12 overall.

Southern Oregon Bracket Website | NAIA Opening Round Championship website

Southern Oregon webcast (payment required) | Live Stats

Bracket Update...Northwestern defeated No.2 seed St.Francis 4-2 in the first game of bracket play on Monday. Kayla Tindall earned the win for the Red Raiders, giving up just two hits and one earned run in the full seven innings. Jessica Sandbulte and Madison Beaver both had two hits to lead the Red Raiders at the plate, who scored all four runs in the fifth inning. 

Top-seed Southern Oregon erupted for 17 hits in its 9-1 win over No.4 seed Simpson in the first round. Nine different Raiders had at least one hit, led by Hannah Shimek, who went 4-for-5 with three runs scored. Harlee Donovan and Kelsey Randall both hit a home run for SOU and Gabby Sandoval gave up six hits and one run in earning her 23rd win of the season.

Scouting Report on Southern Oregon...

    Ranked eighth in the final coaches' poll, Southern Oregon won both the Cascade Collegiate Conference regular and postseason titles to earn an auto bid into the championship. They went 22-5 during the conference regular season and 45-12 overall, winning 12 of their last 13 games heading into Tuesday. 

    Jessica Pistole is in her fourth season as the Raiders head coach, joining the staff in 2014. Pistole has earned CCC coach of the year honors twice, including this season, and returns three starters in the batting lineup and two pitchers from 2017 team that finished 46-15. 

    This is the third opening round appearance for Southern Oregon where they are now 6-3. Last season, they won the Hattiesburg Bracket with a 4-1 record, advancing to the World Series for the first time in program history. 

    By the Numbers:  (NAIA rank if top 10)
    Batting Average: .341                      Opponent Batting Average: .276
    Runs / Game: 6.5                             Runs Given Up / Game: 3
    Hits / Game: 9.6                               Hits Given Up / Game: 7.2
    Stolen Bases: 162/176 (1st)             Stolen Bases by Opponent: 17/30

    Individual Players:
    Harlee Donovan (CCC Player of the Year): .449 BA, 42 runs, 15 2B, 9 HR, 65 RBIs
    Olivia Mackey (1st team all-conference): .390 BA, 20 runs, 17 RBIs
    Kelsey Randall (4x 1st team all-conference; All-American): .376 BA, 62 runs, 10 3B, 33 RBIs
    Tayler Walker (All-Conference): .342 BA, 25 runs

    Gabby Sandoval (1st team all-conference): 23-6, 2.01 ERA  167.1 IP, 118 K's
    Allie Hancock: 9-1, 2.44 ERA  74.2 IP, 43 K's

Northwestern Notes: 36-11 record

The Red Raiders have 36 wins, tied for the sixth most in a season in program history; matching the 2006 season (36-15)

With their 4-2 victory over St. Francis, the Red Raiders earned their first win at the NAIA Softball National Championship since the 2002 season

With Tindall's win in the first game, she improved to 18-6, tied for the 10th most wins in a season at NW; her 146 strikeouts this season is fifth most all time; she ranks second all-time in career strikeouts (433)