BENTONVILLE, Arkansas – Top-seeded Southern Arkansas returned to the top of Great American Conference softball by defeating second-seeded Oklahoma Baptist, 4-1, on Saturday from the Tiger Athletic Complex to win the program’s third GAC Championship title, but its first since 2016.
Tournament MVP Regan Dillon went 3-for-3 with an RBI single. In three GAC Championship games, she reached base 10 times in 11 plate appearances.
SAU (42-8) opened the scoring in the first inning when Kelsiee Adams tripled home America Rubio. One inning later, Payton Owens drove home Savannah Clausen with a triple of her own. Dillon drove in Cassidy Lear with a single. In the third, SAU increased its lead to 4-0 when Jenna Huey doubled in Claussen.
GAC Pitcher of the Year Brinson Rogers threw her third complete game in as many days. She struck out five as she improved to 29-4 on the season. She struck out 16 in the three wins. Rogers, Huey and Clausen joined Dillon on the All-Tournament Team.
Oklahoma Baptist (36-17), playing in its first GAC Championship final, mustered only three hits. Greenlee Wells doubled as part of a 1-for-3 day. She hit .500 at the GAC Championships. Ally Ryan drove in the lone Bison run and placed on the All-Tournament Team. Jaycee Shaffeer, who started the Bison’s first two tournament games and went 1-0 with a 2.55 ERA across 11.0 innings in the circle, made the All-Tournament Team as well.
Southern Nazarene’s Liani Heshiki and Maddie Southerland, Harding’s Brooklyn Gobble and Kaya Lee plus Arkansas Tech’s Alexis Findley filled out the All-Tournament Team.
The Muleriders earned the program’s ninth-straight berth to the NCAA Tournament. Southern Arkansas, ranked third in the final regular-season Central Region rankings, will learn its opponent and destination during Monday morning’s NCAA Selection show. It streams on NCAA.com at 9:00 a.m. Harding, ranked seventh in the final ranking, seeks an at-large bid.
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