MARION, Ind. -- Indiana Wesleyan University softball committed four errors in the first five innings as No. 10 Southeastern (Fla.) won 5-0 in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round game in Grand Rapids, Michigan. IWU falls to the loser’s bracket and is set to face No. 2-seed Davenport on Tuesday in an elimination game.

Game Vitals

• Tournament:  NAIA National Championship Opening Round
• Score:  Indiana Wesleyan - 0   |   Southeastern - 5
• Records:  Indiana Wesleyan 42-17   |   Southeastern 40-14
• NAIA Top- 25 Rank:  Indiana Wesleyan - Receiving votes   |   Southeastern - No. 10 (tied)
• Location:   Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex   |   Davenport University   |   Grand Rapids, Michigan

What Went Down

• Southeastern had runners on first and second with two outs in the 2nd inning. Bri Girardin hit a ground ball that Amber Roth (SO/Shipshewana, Ind.) fielded. Her throw to first was wide which allowed Sammy Jacobson to score. Kelsey Myers picked up the ball and her throw home went wide which allowed Annie Weaver to score as well.
• Taylor Stoltz reached on an Amber Roth throwing error in the 3rd inning and she was able to scamper all the way to third on the play. She later scored on a two out RBI single by Brandee Pietrzak for a 3-0 Southeastern lead.
• In the 5th inning, Cheyenne Blaha hit a double to deep right center field. Gabby Bogear (SR/Sacramento, Calif.) took the relay throw and threw a strike to Tori Magner (SR/North Vernon, Ind.) at home. The throw hit the scoring Bri Girardin in the helmet and the ball ricocheted away which allowed Blaha to score for a 5-0 Fire lead.
• Indiana Wesleyan outhit Southeastern 4-3 in the game. But that was not enough to overcome four Wildcat errors and five walks for the Fire.
• Kaisey Carson (JR/Avon, IN) took the loss with five runs on three hits in 5.0 innings. She walked four and struck out one. Haley Nixon (SO/Bristol, Ind.) did not allow a hit and walked one in 2.0 innings of work.
• Kaisey Carson accounted for half of the Indiana Wesleyan hits and was the only player for either side with two hits.
  
   

Extra! Extra!

• The Opening Round game featured siblings coaching against each other. IWU head coach Steve Babinski and Southeastern head coach Anna Welsh are brother and sister.

Next Time Out

• With the loss Indiana Wesleyan falls to the loser’s bracket. IWU will play host and No. 2-seed Davenport (Mich.) in an elimination game at 3 p.m. ET. Davenport lost 7-5 to No. 3-seed Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) as ONU scored six runs in the 7th inning.