Klamath Falls, Ore. – The No. 4 seeded Saint Xavier University softball team (34-13/17-3 CCAC) took No. 1 and host Oregon Institute of Technology to the brink before the Owls hit a two-out game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the 7^th to defeat the Cougars in the NAIA Opening Round Klamath Falls Bracket Monday afternoon in Klamath Falls, Ore. Junior pitcher Laila Summers (Joliet, Ill./Providence Catholic) threw 6.2 innings with 11 hits, four runs and two walks to fall to 21-8 on the season.

• Junior infielder Alexus Reese (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central) finished 1-for-4 with three RBI and a double.
• Senior outfielder Nicole Lovato (Channahon, Ill./Minooka Community) was 1-for-2 with two walks, a run scored and a stolen base.
• Senior outfielder Sarah Bowen (Hampshire, Ill./Hampshire) went 1-for-3.
• OIT went up 1-0 in the bottom of the 1^st on a sacrifice fly and made it 2-0 in the bottom of the 2^nd with an RBI double.
• Reese smacked a bases clearing double down the left field line to give Saint Xavier the lead, 3-2, in the top of the 3^rd.
• Oregon Tech tied the game in the bottom of the 6^th with a one-out home run over the wall in right center.
• The Owls drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the 7^th and Summers would record a lineout and a foul out, however a stolen base put the winning run in scoring position allowing OIT to drive in the winning run one batter later.

Saint Xavier (34-13/17-3 CCAC) takes on Emory-Riddle Aeronautical University (Ariz.) in the elimination bracket on Tuesday, May 16 at 4:30 pm central.