CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – No. 4 seeded Evangel University scored three runs in three runs in the first inning on Saturday and held off No. 7 seeded Benedictine as they knocked out the Ravens from the Heart Softball Championship Series with a 5-4 win.

Benedictine rallied late to score 2 runs in the seventh but couldn't pull ahead as they end their season at 30-26 overall.

Kera Willoughby took over inside the circle after two-thirds of an inning for MacKenzie Pinkerton. Pinkerton gave up 3 runs off 1 hit before Willoughby finished off the game limiting Evangel to just 1 earned run off 4 hits. 

Ally Pickering tripled in Natalie Sheffield in the bottom of the 4th inning to cut their deficit down to 3-1. Kylie Hays singed in Halley Rindom in the 5th inning to match the Valor's run in the top half of the inning and move the score to 4-2.

After Evangel got a solo home run in the top of the seventh, Hays hit a sac-fly to score Katelyn Fanning while Madison Zaccardo doubled to score Megan Medhus and close the Ravens deficit down to 5-4. That was all the closer the Ravens as the Valor got a strikeout with Dez Duncan on second to end the game.

Hays finished with 2 RBI while Pickering went 3 for 3 with a triple and RBI. Rindom went 2 for 3 and was the only other Raven to record more than one hit at the plate.