WILLIAMSBURG, KY. – Ravens Softball started their first-ever NAIA National Tournament on the right foot Monday afternoon.
The No. 2 Seed Ravens outlasted the No. 3 Seed Coastal Georgia Mariners, 2-1, to advance to the winner's side of the bracket in the opening round hosted by the University of the Cumberlands.
Bailey Selvage pitched a complete game for the Ravens, scattering 5 hits and 6 walks to earn her 21st win of the season.
Both teams were scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning when the lower part of the Ravens lineup went to work. Megan Forsman got things going with a two-out single, then Ryan Cooper drove Forsman home with a double for the game's first run. Leadoff hitter Kassidy James then knocked in Cooper with what turned out to be an important insurance run.
Selvage worked a scoreless sixth inning, then got into a bit of a jam in the seventh and allowed her only run. With two runners on and just one out, Selvage locked in, picking up a strike out and fly out to shut down the Mariners rally and close out the win.
The Ravens were held to 4 hits in the contest, but strung together three in a row to scratch across their 2 runs. Baylee Knorr had the other hit, a single in the first inning.
The Ravens (40-14) will play at 12:30 p.m. (EST) Tuesday, May 14 against No. 1 Cumberlands, which knocked off No. 5 St. Francis Monday afternoon.
