NAIA OPENING ROUND – SOUTHERN OREGON BRACKET
Monday's Results:
Game 1 – (2) Grand View (Iowa) 1, (3) Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 0
Game 2 – (1) Southern Oregon 6, (4) Taylor (Ind.) 5
Tuesday's Results:
Game 3 – Grand View 2, Southern Oregon 1
Game 4 – Embry-Riddle 4, Taylor 2 (Taylor eliminated
Game 5 – Southern Oregon 4, Embry-Riddle 1 (ERAU eliminated)
Wednesday's Game(s):
Game 6 – Southern Oregon vs. Grand View, 11 a.m.
Game 7 – If necessary, 1:30 p.m.

MEDFORD – The Southern Oregon University softball team is still alive, but staying that way will require the No. 8-ranked Raiders to complete a tall task in Wednesday's Southern Oregon Bracket finals.

Grand View (Iowa) ace Hannah Pals became the first pitcher in 10 years to no-hit SOU in Tuesday's opener at Lithia & Driveway Fields, leading the 10th-ranked Vikings to a 2-1 victory. The Raiders had to win an elimination game to survive the day and did so by riding All-American Riley Donovan, who hit a two-run home run and a two-run single to account for all of their offense in a 4-1 defeat of 24th-ranked Embry-Riddle (Ariz.).

Cayla Williams saved Phelicity Fa'aita's win, giving the Raiders another shot at Grand View on Wednesday. They'll have to defeat the Vikings in back-to-back games for the NAIA Opening Round title and a spot in the World Series, though, and Pals has only allowed one hit through 14 innings of work in the tournament.

The Raiders (48-13) and Vikings (44-9) are set for an 11 a.m. first pitch. If SOU can force a second game, it will be played immediately after the first.

In their initial go-round against Pals, the Raiders manufactured their only run with a Williams walk, Fa'aita's sacrifice bunt and a two-out fielding error to tie the score, 1-1, in the fourth inning.

Williams, Pals' opposition in the circle, also impressed in just her fourth loss of the season, a complete-game five-hitter. She gave up one run through her first four the first four frames – it scored on a wild pitch – and Kaitlyn Moses lifted a decisive sacrifice fly in the fifth after a walk and a hit-batter.

Fa'aita followed with another strong start against Embry-Riddle (41-5), which avoided elimination earlier in the day by knocking out Taylor (Ind.), 4-2. Faita gave up seven hits and one run over 5 2/3 innings, upping her record to 11-2, and Williams recorded her sixth save by stranding the bases loaded in the sixth and escaping a two-on jam in the seventh.

Donovan – who also homered in Monday's 6-5 win over Taylor – sent her SOU-record 19th to straightaway center in the first inning after Deja Acosta led off with a single. With two in scoring position in the third, she made it 4-0 by roping a single up the middle.

Acosta went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Sarah Kerling went 2-for-3 and scored the other run.

Two wins on Wednesday would send the Raiders to their fifth consecutive NAIA World Series. It'll be the first time they've had to win two in a row in the final round since the run began in 2017.