SHREVEPORT, La. – Second seeded Southwestern advanced into the winner's bracket championship on Saturday following a nine-inning, 3-2, walk-off affair against third-seeded host Centenary in the Friday nightcap of the 2019 SCAC Softball Tournament.

After a scoreless opening three frames, Southwestern got on the board after Maddie Mefford drove in Kaitlynn Copher in the bottom of the fourth to open a 1-0 lead.

The Pirates extended their lead to 2-0 following a two-out run when Tori Montemayor scored after a Centenary error kept the inning alive in the bottom of the fifth.

Centenary stormed back to tie the game when Sydney Hurley crushed her fourth home run of the year over the left field fence in the top half of the ninth.

In the home half of the ninth inning, Southwestern won the game on Copher's second hit of the night, scoring Montemayor from third, sending the Pirates into the winner's bracket championship on Saturday against top-seeded Texas Lutheran.

SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY STATISTICAL STANDOUTS

Tori Montemayor: 3-5, 2 runs
Kaitlyn Copher: 2-4, 1 run, 1 RBI
Katelyn Francis: 2-3
Lindsey Longuet: 9.0 IP, 6 hits, 2 ER, 8 Ks, 4 BB

Lindsey Longuet improved to 15-2 on the season following her 14th complete game of the season, going all nine innings, allowing just six hits and striking out eight For the third consecutive season, Southwestern advances winner's bracket final after having never been in that spot prior to the 2017 tournament.

Up next, Southwestern advances to play Texas Lutheran in tomorrow's winner's bracket game at 3 p.m., with the winner advancing to Sunday's championship round. Centenary will play Trinity in an elimination game scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.