Sioux Center, Iowa – A late rally in the top of the 7^th inning by the No. 4 seeded Saint Xavier University softball team (28-13/12-4 CCAC) came up short in a 2-1 setback to top seeded Northwestern College (Iowa) in the winner's bracket Tuesday afternoon in the NAIA Opening Round Sioux Center Bracket at Open Space Park in Sioux Center, Iowa. Freshman outfielder Aubrey Wroble (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) drove in a run with the bases loaded on a one-out ground out, however a close play at first on a ground ball to third base ended the game before the tying run crossed the plate. Senior pitcher Laila Summers (Joliet, Ill./Providence Catholic) threw her 22^nd complete game of the season after going 6.0 innings and scattering five hits with two earned runs, a walk and four strikeouts.

• Wroble had two hits in four at-bats.
• Junior infielder Abbie Carr (Indianapolis, Ind./Roncalli) went 2-for-3.
• Junior catcher Lindsay Morgan (Huntley, Ill./Keiser/Huntley) was 1-for-2 with a walk.
• NWC took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 2^nd, rallying for a run after a two-out base hit, a stolen base and an RBI single back up the middle.
• The Red Raiders tacked on another two-out run in the bottom of the 3^rd on another RBI single.
• Carr led off the top of the 7^th win a leadoff single and was erased on a fielder's choice. Morgan drew a walk and junior outfielder Maddi Stahulak (Manhattan, Ill./Lincoln-Way West) hit an infield single to load the bases. Wroble put down a safety squeeze bunt up the first-base line to cut the deficit to 2-1 before the grounder to third ended the game.

No. 4 Saint Xavier (28-13/12-4 CCAC) takes on the winner of the No. 5 Bellevue University (Neb.)/No. 3 Grand View University game in the elimination bracket on Wednesday, May 15. The game has been moved up to 12:30 pm due to the forecast of rain in the area.