Softball Championship Set: #1 Olivet Nazarene vs. #2 Saint Xavier
CROWN POINT, Ind. — No. 2-seeded and NAIA No. 14 nationally-ranked Saint Xavier University finds itself in the driver’s seat entering Championship Sunday at the 2021 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Softball Tournament. The Cougars remain as the lone unbeaten after the first two days and 21 games of the tournament with only top-seeded and league regular-season champion Olivet Nazarene University standing in their way of the title.
Saint Xavier (32-2) gained a 2-1 lead in the season series with the NAIA No. 12-ranked Tigers (31-5) by defeating them by a 5-1 count in the winner’s bracket on Saturday. That kept the Cougars perfect through their first three games and having allowed just one run in their last two contests.
In the elimination bracket, No. 5 seed University of St. Francis won its fourth game in a row with a 3-2 victory over No. 3 seed Roosevelt University to remain alive. Olivet Nazarene, however, shut the Saints out for just the second time this season, 2-0, in the second elimination game on Saturday to end their season.
That left Saint Xavier and Olivet Nazarene as the only teams left in the 12-team, double-elimination field, creating for Sunday’s championship play. The first game will take place at 3 pm with the if-necessary game to follow immediately afterwards if needed.
With Olivet Nazarene having already locked up the conference’s first automatic berth in the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round by winning the regular-season title, Saint Xavier has already sealed up the second bid by advancing to the championship round.
For complete tournament coverage, go to the Tournament Website.
The complete updated schedule and results follow:
Thursday, May 6, 2021
Game #1: No. 9 seed Trinity International 10, No. 8 seed Cardinal Stritch 0
Game #2: No. 7 seed Indiana South Bend 10, No. 10 seed Judson 2
Game #3: No. 12 seed Lincoln 5, No. 5 seed St. Francis 4
Game #4: No. 11 seed Trinity Christian 3, No. 8 seed Calumet St. Joseph 2 — 10 Innings
Game #5: No. 1 seed Olivet Nazarene 13, No. 9 seed Trinity International 0
Game #6: No. 2 seed Saint Xavier 13, No. 7 seed Indiana South Bend 7
Game #7: No. 4 seed St. Ambrose 8, No. 12 seed Lincoln 0
Game #8: No. 3 seed Roosevelt 5, No. 11 seed Trinity Christian 4
Friday, May 7, 2021
Game #9: No. 9 seed Trinity International 4, No. 10 seed Judson 2
Game #10: No. 8 seed Cardinal Stritch 6, No. 7 seed Indiana South Bend 1
Game #11: No. 6 seed Calumet St. Joseph 4, No. 12 seed (Lincoln 3
Game #12: No. 5 seed St. Francis 10, No. 11 seed Trinity Christian 4
Game #13: No. 6 seed Calumet St. Joseph 5, No. 9 seed Trinity International 4
Game #14: No. 5 seed St. Francis 8, No. 8 seed Cardinal Stritch 3
Game #15: No. 1 seed Olivet Nazarene 9, No. 4 seed St. Ambrose 1
Game #16: No. 2 seed Saint Xavier 12, No. 3 seed Roosevelt 0
Game #17: No. 3 seed Roosevelt 4, No. 6 seed Calumet St. Joseph 0
Game #18: No. 5 seed St. Francis 16, No. 4 seed St. Ambrose 15 — 8 Innings
Saturday, May 8, 2021
Game #19: No. 2 seed Saint Xavier 5, No. 1 seed Olivet Nazarene 1
Game #20: No. 5 seed St. Francis 3, No. 3 seed Roosevelt 2
Game #21: No. 1 seed Olivet Nazarene 2, No. 5 seed St. Francis 0
Sunday, May 9, 2021
Game #22: No. 1 seed Olivet Nazarene (31-5) vs. No. 2 seed Saint Xavier (32-2) — 3 pm (Championship)
Game #23: Winner-Game #23 vs. Loser-Game #23 — 5 pm (If necessary)
