Mobile (Ala.) Hits Walk-Off to Down Owls 3-2 in NAIA World Series

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.  –  Courtney Ellzey delivered her third single of the game in the bottom of the seventh inning lifting No. 7 Mobile (Ala.) to a 3-2 walk-off win over No. 10 Oregon Tech to kick-off the 39th Annual Women's NAIA Softball World Series on Thursday at the Killian Sports Complex.

The loss for Oregon Tech will move them into the Elimination side of the bracket and win or go home game at 7:30 pm (Pacific) Friday night against the loser of the Oklahoma City Vs. Valley City State (N.D.) game that will be played Friday morning at 9:30 a.m. (Pacific).

"That was a tough start to the tournament," said Head Coach Greg Stewart, "It puts us in a challenging position to battle back, but I think we will hit better as we move on. After a week off it took the girls awhile to get their bats warmed up. Graham and Barkis came up with big clutch hits in the 6th. We tried to get things going in the seventh inning and fell short after they made a couple of great plays.  That was a typical playoff game where it boiled down to getting key outs and two-out hits making the difference."

The game was pitcher's duel between the Owls Sarah Abramson and the Rams Hope Cain as the game remained scoreless through the first four innings.

The Rams took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth on an infield RBI single by Emily Fleetwood.

Tech stormed back with two runs in the top of the 6th on two-out doubles by Ali Graham and Cierra Barkis to take a 2-1 lead.

The Rams tied the game at 2-2 with one-run on three hits in the bottom of sixth, and then took advantage of a leadoff walk and stolen base by Fleetwood in the bottom of the seventh to set up game winning RBI single by Ellzey.

Mobile out hit OIT 8-4 in the game led by the three-hit effort by Ellzey.

Barkis led the Owls with two-hits in the loss.