WORLD SERIES CENTRAL | BRACKET

COLUMBUS, Ga. – The NAIA Softball World Series script is beginning to look familiar to Southern Oregon.

The Raiders are now two wins away from their third championship in four postseasons after handing top-seeded rival Oregon Tech its most lopsided loss in over three years – a 10-0 decision Saturday at the South Commons Softball Complex that was preceded by five consecutive OIT victories in the head-to-head season series.

SOU (48-12 overall) brought the mercy rule into effect after six innings in the latest matchup by pounding OIT (51-9) with 16 hits. Three of those came off the bat of Riley Donovan, who, two years after breaking the Owls' hearts with the go-ahead home run in extra innings of the national title game, set the tone in the first with her NAIA-leading 21st homer and added a two-RBI double in the middle of Raiders' six-run sixth.

Three more hits came from Cayla Williams, who drove in three runs while pitching her second consecutive complete game. The senior limited No. 5 seed Georgia Gwinnett to one run on two hits Thursday in SOU's tournament-opening win, and followed up that performance with a three-hitter. She needed just three strikeouts to earn her fifth consecutive postseason victory and seventh shutout of the spring, improving to 22-5.

The Raiders, seeded No. 4 in the double-elimination bracket, advanced to play Monday at 4 p.m. Pacific Time against the only other remaining unbeaten team: the winner of Saturday's late game between No. 3 Cumberlands (Ky.) and No. 7 Marian (Ind.). Monday's winner will advance to Wednesday's championship round, while the loser will play an elimination game at 4 p.m. Tuesday for a spot in the final.

Since dropping their first game of the Opening Round, the Raiders have won six consecutive tournament games by a cumulative score of 46-9.

They got a surplus of production against the Owls. Their No. 9 hitter in the order, Sarah Kerling, doubled up the Owls' hit with four of her own. Their No. 8 hitter, Lindsey Stripling, came through with an RBI single that gave SOU a 4-0 lead in the third inning and later drove in another run. Gold Glove-winning third baseman Lauren Weinberg added two hits.

The Owls averaged nearly seven runs in the teams' five previous meetings. Williams only lasted four batters in her most recent start against them on May 7 in the Cascade Conference Tournament.

OIT will play its first elimination game Monday against Midland (Neb.), now needing to win five in a row for the title.