CIERA FLORES AND MILLENNI LUCERO NAMED TO NAIA SOFTBALL WORLD SERIES ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM

LINDSBORG - Following a historic run to the final four of the NAIA Softball World Series a pair of Bethany College Swedes have been named to the all tournament team. Ciera Flores and Millenni Lucero were the two Swedes chosen for All Tournament honors. Shortstop Ciera Flores earned the honor after batting .363 (4-11) in five games at the NAIA World Series. Flores hit two home runs and had three RBIs. She also scored a pair of runs and drew five walks. Millenni Lucero was selected following a World Series performance that her hit .400 (4-10) and score four runs. Lucero also walked twice and was twice hit by a pitch. Additionally Lucero went 3 for 4 on stolen base attempts and played exhilerating defense in left field for the Swedes. 

The 2019 defending national champions, Southern Oregon battled though elimination bracket winning five games straight to earn the 2021 Red Banner. The Raiders defeated Oregon Tech 3-2 forcing the if necessary game and then defeated the Owls, 7-5 in nine innings to claim the second victory. 

The two teams both call the state of Oregon home, with their campuses separated by just 66 miles the Cascade Collegiate Conference rivals played on the big stage Wednesday night. This was the first conference matchup in the national championship game since 2014. Prior to the first pitch Southern Oregon led the series against Oregon Tech 3-2.

This was the first championship game to go to extra innings since 2012. Opponents from the same conference hadn't matched up in the final since 2014, and SOU became just the second of the last 12 champions to come out of the elimination bracket to win it.

No. 1 Southern Oregon prevailed yet winning their fourth elimination game and forced the winner-take-all finale. The 3-2 victory snapped the Owls 14-game win streak. Both teams started out strong at the plate. Oregon Tech scored first off a Southern Oregon error at left field. Southern Oregon also scored one fun in the first piecing together two hits. The score remained 1-1 until the bottom of the fifth when Southern Oregon took their first lead of the day. Avery Morehead-Hutsell started the Raiders off with a single to short and then Hannah Shimek, Lauren Quirke and Riley Donovan all followed suite singling to total four hits. Quirke and Donovan both earned the RBIs for the inning. The Owls stopped the Raiders before further damage leaving two on base at the end of inning.

Owls attempted comeback in the top of the seventh, but fell short in the process. McKenna Armantrout singled through the gap to bring Olivia Lethlean home to make the score 3-2. Southern Oregon defense stopped the Owls leaving three on base and forcing the if necessary game. The win went to Gabby Sandoval (32-4), who finished a complete game by getting Aubrie Businger to pop out with the bases loaded in the seventh.

In the second game of the night Southern Oregon used the momentum from their win to take an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. The Owls strung together three hits for one run to get on the board early as well. With SOU up 5-1 and needing one final out in the bottom of the seventh Oregon Tech did not give up. They continued to battle getting five straight Owls got on base, the Owls sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning to extend the game. Three of them reached via walks, including Logan Nunes, who took a full-count fastball low with the bases loaded to force in the tying run. Sending the game into extra innings with a 5-5 score.



Riley Donovan, 2021 World Series MVP, led off the top of the ninth and muscled a 1-0 pitch at the letters over the center field fence for her eighth home run. Over seven games at the World Series, she went 11-for-17 with two home runs, two doubles and eight RBIs.

All-Tournament Team

Millenni Lucero, Bethany (Kan.)

Ciera Flores, Bethany (Kan.)

Veronica Pezzoni, Madonna (Mich.)

Maeson Schlaud, Madonna (Mich.)

Jess Heick, Mount Mercy (Iowa)

Jayna Witzany, Mount Mercy (Iowa)

Casson Rasmussen, Ottawa (Kan.)

Katelyn Wilfert, College of Idaho

Hattie Hruza, College of Idaho

McKenna Armantrout, Oregon Tech

Lauren Quirke, Southern Oregon

Allie Stines, Southern Oregon

Sarah Abramson, Oregon Tech

Gabby Sandoval, Southern Oregon

Kaila Mick, Oregon Tech

Hannah Shimeck, Southern Oregon

The Most Valuable Player

Riley Donovan, Southern Oregon