DECATUR, ALA.. – Facing elimination all day long, No. 3-seed Azusa Pacific won 4 consecutive games in a span covering just over 12 hours to stay alive as 1 of 3 teams remaining in the NAIA Softball Championship Tournament.

The Cougars capped Friday's 4-win effort with a 1-0 victory over tournament host Athens (Ala.) State University. The victory gives Azusa Pacific a school-record 52 wins on the season, breaking the former standard of 51 set by the 1997 squad that finished fifth at the NAIA Championship Tournament. These Cougars, however, are guaranteed no worse than third place. They face defending national champion Simon Fraser University (38-12) of British Columbia on Saturday at 10 a.m. (PDT). That winner will go on to play Oklahoma City (60-12) at noon (PDT) in the first of what would possibly be 2 national championship games.

In tonight's victory over Athens State, Lorna Lyttle's 2-out single in the bottom of the third inning scored Cristal Brown from third base with the game's only run. That was enough for Cougar pitcher Jodi Miller, who scattered 4 hits to pick up her school-record 19th shutout of the season, her fourth of the playoffs and her second of the day.

Miller relied not just on her pitching but the defensive play of her teammates as well. With 1 out in the top of the fifth inning, Athens State's Rhonda Barrido singled to left field. However, Cougar freshman Shannon Long picked up the short liner and gunned down Jana Ingram, who was trying to score from third base. The Bears then got their first 2 batters on in the bottom of the sixth. However, Miller induced a ground out to third and then an inning-ending double play to get out of trouble.

With the win Azusa Pacific improves to 52-14 on the season. Athens State's season comes to an end at 29-18. Both of the Bears' losses in the NAIA Tourney came at the hands of Azusa Pacific. The Cougars downed the Bears, 4-0, to open the tourney back on Wednesday.

Azusa Pacific began Friday's play at 10 a.m. (PDT) and posted wins over St. Ambrose (4-0), Walsh (7-0) and Lindenwood (4-3 in 9 innings). By the time the Cougars recorded the final out of the Athens State game it was 10:15 p.m. (PDT).

Athens State (29-18)     0 0 0  0 0 0  0  --  0  4  4
Azusa Pacific (52-14)    0 0 1  0 0 0  x  --  1  4  1

Vanissa Velasquez (L, ) and Kristy Goolsby
Jodi Miller (W, 27-8) and Jaime Salazar