COLUMBUS, Ga. - [Bracket | Schedule | Watch] Southern Oregon forced a winner-take-all Game 19 after defeating Oklahoma City 6-0 on Wednesday afternoon. Ayla Davies was the standout performer for the Raiders, throwing a complete-game shutout on 103 pitches with 10 strikeouts. Oklahoma City fell to 53-10 on the season, while Southern Oregon improved to 54-9 with one game remaining to crown the NAIA Softball National Champion.

OCU put a runner on base immediately in the top of the first with a leadoff walk issued by Davies. With one out, the Stars connected on a hard-hit ball up the middle to put runners on the corners, but ultimately stranded both. Southern Oregon quickly responded in the bottom of the first. At Kennedy, Kila snuck a hit down the left-field line, allowing Sarah Kerling to score for an early 1-0 lead. SOU extended the lead to 2-0 on a throwing error by the Stars. The Raiders continued their strong hitting and smart baserunning, jumping ahead 4-0 on three hits and two OCU errors. Up to this point in the NAIA Softball World Series, Oklahoma City had allowed just one run in its previous three games combined.

Davies kept the Stars off balance, striking out three of the four batters she faced in the second inning and stranding another runner. Faith Moultrie earned a leadoff walk in the bottom half, and Kerling grounded out to second to move Moultrie into scoring position. However, a throw from catcher Tiffany Paul ended the threat and the inning, with SOU still leading 4-0.

Paul earned a leadoff walk in the third—only the second issued by Davies—but once again, Oklahoma City stranded the runner. Both teams were solid defensively in the fourth, keeping the score unchanged as the game headed into the fifth with SOU still on top, 4-0.

After four innings, Davies had struck out eight batters on just 69 pitches. In the bottom half, Vanessa Lang singled to shallow left field to lead off for SOU. However, a flyout and lineout helped OCU escape the inning. The Stars managed a one-out single to shallow center from Carlee Mollett in the fifth but left her stranded, marking their fifth left-on-base of the game.

In the sixth, Southern Oregon looked to add insurance. Lang singled through the left side, followed by a walk to pinch hitter Christian Tadvick, putting two runners on with one out. Oklahoma City brought in Brynlee Alsip in relief of Emersen Heron, who went 5.1 innings and allowed seven hits and two walks to 26 batters. Kerling came through again with a two-RBI double to left-center field, extending SOU’s lead to 6-0.

Southern Oregon will look to win its sixth straight game in Columbus and secure the NAIA Softball World Series title tomorrow in Game 19—a winner-take-all matchup—against Oklahoma City at the South Commons Complex.