via Mike Safford, Oregon Tech Athletics
COLUMBUS, Ga. – Faced with a severe thunderstorm threat throughout the day, Oregon Tech and the University of the Cumberlands battled into the third inning, facing three weather delays spanning over five hours before the elimination game at the NAIA Softball World Series was suspended to Tuesday morning.
The Lady Owls hold a 4-1 lead with two outs in the bottom of the third at the point of stoppage – with the Patriots having the tying run at the plate.
Following a 45-minute delay due to lightning to start the day, the two teams got through two innings of play – with OIT (48-11) scoring a pair of second inning runs on RBI singles from Mckenzie Staub and Malia Mick. Following a Nita Cook bunt single to start the third, play was stopped due to lightning – with a nearly 4-hour delay following – as waves of storms rolled through the Chattahoochee River Valley.
Play resumed late in the afternoon, with Tech extending the lead to 4-0 on a Lexi Klum RBI single and a Jayce Seavert sacrifice fly.
The Patriots (49-8) plated a run on an RBI groundout by Amber Gainer, with Makenzie Keatts at the plate with runners at 2nd-and-3rd when play was halted due to lightning again. Following an hour of discussion, play was pushed to Tuesday.
For Tech to reach the title game – they will have to win three games on Tuesday – while a loss would end their season.
7 a.m. – Oregon Tech-Cumberlands (live on 104.3/960 Sports)
9 a.m. – Jessup vs. Madonna
11:30 a.m. – Our Lady of the Lake vs. Science & Arts
2 p.m. – OIT-UC winner vs. JU-MU winner (live on 104.3/960 Sports)
4:30 p.m. – OLLU-USAO loser vs. 2 p.m. game winner (live on 1150 KAGO)
