Indiana Tech and Madonna Eliminated from Softball Opening Round

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Indiana Tech and Madonna both ended their seasons in the 2023 NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round. Tech won its first game before dropping the next two in the the Lawrenceville Bracket to finish the seaosn at 41-12. Madonna pushed its way to the championship of the Williamsburg Bracket but fell in 10 innings to end the season at 38-14.

Indiana Tech def. Coastal Georgia, 2-1 (8 innings)
Indiana Tech plated a run in the top half of the fifth inning on Alyssa Fox's RBI single. The Warriors held the lead until Coastal Georgia tied it up in the seventh to force an extra inning. A run in the eighth gave Tech the lead and a catch leaning over the railing in foul territory by Jayme Koning sealed the victory. Savannah Bravo threw a complete game giving up just one run on six hits.

Georgia Gwinett def. Indiana Tech, 7-1
Tech scored a run in the opening frame before Georgia Gwinett put five on the board over the first two innings. The Grizzlies plated another run in the fourth and again in the sixth while giving up just two hits the entire game.

Coastal Georgia def. Indiana Tech, 3-0
Coastal Georgia struck first with a run in the top of the first. The Warriors held the Mariners in check over the next four innings, but also struggled on offense themselves. Coastal Georgia got two more runs in the sixth for the final score Tech recorded three hits and had three errors in the loss.

Madonna def. Indiana Wesleyan, 2-0
Maeson Schlaud threw a complete game shutout scattering five hits and striking out seven to give the Crusaders the win. After MU put up two runs in the second, the game turned to a defensive battle with Jenna Gilbert throwing out a runner at home after catching a foul in left field to complete the double play in the bottom of the seventh. 

Cumberlands (Ky.) def. Madonna, 4-2
The Crusaders found themselves down early after Cumberlands scored twice in the second. Cumberlands got another in the third before Madonna got on the board in the fourth. A solo shot by E Bryant extended the Patriots lead back to three. Jenna Gilbert had an RBI single in the sixth, but the Crusaders were unable complete the comeback. 

Madonna def. USC Beaufort, 11-1 (5 innings)
The Crusaders jumped early with a pair of runs to open the game before a monsterous six-run second inning. Another three runs in the third put the game out of reach. USC Beaufort plated its only run in the fourth. Schlaud recorded five strikeouts in the shortened game.

Cumberlands def. Madonna, 4-1 (10 innings)
Making their way through the consolation bracket, the Crusaders needed to win two in order to advance. After threeand-a-half scoreless innings, Madonna put one across the plate in the fourth when Lucy Bennin scored on a single by Jessica Dunkel. The pitchers dual continued through the seventh before Cumberlands got the run back when Maddie Sickau knocked in Carly Oliver with two outs. Madonna went three and out to send the game into extra innings. The Patritots bats woke up in the 10th as Mackenzie. Pawlak doubled down the left field line to score a pair of runs, then scored on a single from Hailey Wood. Cumberlands' pitching came through in the bottom of the frame, sending all three batters down.