Fayette, Mo. – The No. 3 Central Methodist softball team survived a pair of elimination games on day two of the NAIA National Championship Opening Round at Reardon Family Field.
The Eagles rallied past No. 4 Indiana University Southeast, 8-7, in walk-off fashion before dominating No. 2 Midland, 8-0, in five innings later in the day to advance to Wednesday's championship series against No. 1 seed Madonna.
Against Indiana Southeast, the Eagles erased multiple deficits and delivered in the clutch late. The Grenadiers jumped out to a 3-0 lead through two innings before Central answered with a pair of runs in the second on RBI singles from Rachel Brandt and Brianna Craig.
Indiana Southeast stretched the lead to 6-2 in the third after a three-run homer. CMU chipped away in the bottom half when Madison Roberts drove in Elizabeth Palumbo on an RBI double.
The game turned in the fourth inning when Emma King launched a grand slam to center field, capping a four-run frame and giving the Eagles their first lead at 7-6. King finished batting two-for-three with four RBI and a walk in the victory.
After Indiana Southeast tied the game in the seventh on a solo home run, CMU responded immediately in the bottom half. Kinley Boley singled to right center, followed by a sac bunt from Brandt to move pinch runner Isabella Proctor to second. Proctor eventually came around to score on Craig's walk-off RBI double to left center, sealing the 8-7 win.
Craig went three-for-four with two RBI and the game-winning hit, while Palumbo added two hits and two runs scored. Roberts drove in a run and scored once, and Brandt contributed an RBI single.
In the circle, Haley Cotter delivered a dominant relief effort to keep the Eagles alive. Entering in the third inning after the Grenadiers collected nine hits, Cotter allowed just one hit and one run over the final five innings while striking out one to earn the victory.
Central carried the momentum into its second elimination game against Midland, erupting for seven runs over the first two innings en route to an 8-0 run-rule victory.
King again provided the early fireworks, blasting a first-inning grand slam to left field that plated Kaysie Jolley, Palumbo, and Maddie Holly for a quick 4-0 advantage. The homer marked King's second grand slam of the day and gave her eight RBI across the two contests.
The Eagles added three more runs in the second inning. Jolley doubled home Craig before Palumbo and Holly each drove in a run to extend the lead to 7-0. Joely Crider later added an RBI double in the third inning for the final margin.
CMU's offense totaled 12 hits in the win, led by Crider's 3-for-3 performance with two doubles, an RBI and a walk. Jolley collected two hits and scored twice, while Craig and Kinlei Boley each added two-hit efforts.
Freshman pitcher Anna Stesia Ballew was outstanding in the circle, tossing a complete-game one-hitter over five innings. Ballew allowed just one walk and struck out three as Midland managed only a third-inning triple.
Now 40-16 on the season, Central must defeat Madonna twice on Wednesday, May 13, beginning at 12:00 p.m., to secure its fourth consecutive berth in the NAIA World Series.
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