CROWN POINT, Ind. --- Kaylie Sippel's walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning kept the University of St. Francis softball team's season alive in a 5-4 win over St. Ambrose University after Olivet Nazarene University scored three runs late to defeat the Fighting Saints earlier on Friday at the 2024 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Softball Tournament.

The split decision leaves USF (27-13) needing to win four games over the next two days to advance to the NAIA National Championship for the second year in a row.

The Saints held a 5-2 lead after four innings against No. 6 seed Olivet Nazarene before the Tigers (14-24) scored the final four runs of the inning, including three in their final at-bat to upset the No. 2 seed.  In the nightcap, USF put on its own rally cap, coming back from a 4-0 deficit heading into the bottom of the fourth inning.

Jaelynn Taylor had a big day at the plate, going 6-for-7.  She also drove in three of USF's five runs in the opener, including two on a home run.

Sippel added a pair of hits in each contest, including the game-winner.

Olivet Nazarene 6, USF 5
Four of five USF runs scored after two outs, but the Saints still missed out on other clutch opportunities as they left 12 runners on base over the first six innings, including the bases loaded twice and a pair of runners on in three additional innings.

Taylor could not have done any more than she did, going 4-for-4 with a pair of the clutch two-out hits.  She started the scoring with an RBI single in the first inning and made it a 5-2 lead in the fourth with her two-run home run.

Kiersten Manning (2-for-2) provided USF's other run-scoring hit in the first inning with Rose Mwaro's sacrifice fly in the third inning accounting for St. Francis' other tally.

Trailing 5-3 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, Olivet Nazarene (14-24) opened the frame with three straight hits and got two more after two outs to take the lead.  Five of ONU's six runs in the contest scored after two outs.

USF 5, St. Ambrose 4
After recording just one hit through the first three innings and trailing 4-0 at that point, the Saint bats went to work with a four-run, five-hit outburst.  Each of the first five USF batters would get on base with Kylie Cook completing the string with a crucial two-run double to left field.  Isabella Landeros also had a run-scoring double earlier in the inning with Brittany Osborne getting the Saints back even at four-all with her two-out single to left field later on in the frame.

After St. Ambrose's early 4-0 run, Manning (16-7) would hold the Bees (19-27) scoreless in her 3 1/3 innings of relief to set the stage for Sippel.

Emily Boyle opened the seventh inning with a triple to center field and Sippel followed with her game-winning single to center, as well, to send the Saints to Saturday.
Sippel, Landeros, Taylor and Cook each delivered two hits in the contest.

Notes: Taylor's four-hit game was the first of her career.  The home run was her team-leading seventh of the campaign … With her hits in each game, Cook extended her hitting streak to a season-high six contests … The Saints continue their run through the elimination bracket this afternoon starting at 1 pm against Roosevelt University.  

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