GRAPEVINE, TX. – The 4-seed Wayland Baptist closed out the 2026 NCCAA Softball World Series with a gritty shutout victory before battling until the final out in the tournament semi-finals on Wednesday in Grapevine, Texas. The Pioneers defeated the 6-seed University of Northwestern (Minn.) 3-0 in their opening game of the day before falling to 2-seed Southwestern Christian 10-5 in the season finale.

The Pioneers showcased resilience throughout the final day, highlighted by a dominant complete-game shutout from Brooklyn Ray and an explosive offensive performance from Mikayla Carrillo in the final game of the tournament.

Against Northwestern, Wayland Baptist relied on timely hitting and strong pitching to secure the 3-0 victory. Reagan Davis-Pena scored the first run of the game in the opening inning after Berkley Bradley drove a double into right center field.

The Pioneers added insurance in the fifth inning when Davis-Pena walked and Carrillo followed with a single before Yaneli Jaramillo delivered a clutch two-run double to center field, extending the lead to 3-0.

Ray was outstanding in the circle, tossing a complete-game shutout while scattering seven hits and working around several Northwestern scoring opportunities. She finished with three strikeouts across seven innings and stranded 10 runners to preserve the win.

Bradley and Jaramillo each recorded RBI doubles, while Carrillo and Brooke McLaurin added hits in the win. Davis-Pena scored twice and reached base twice to pace the offense.

In the final game of the season, the Pioneers came out swinging against Southwestern Christian. Davis-Pena opened the game with a walk before Carrillo launched a two-run home run to center field to give Wayland Baptist an early 2-0 lead.

Wayland added another run in the second inning when Carrillo singled home Davis-Pena after a double from the senior catcher.

Southwestern Christian responded with a three-run second inning and then broke the game open in the third after a three-run home run from Hailey Kuhlman pushed the lead to 8-3.

The Pioneers continued to battle in the fourth inning. Davis-Pena singled and stole second before Carrillo ripped an RBI double to left field. Jaramillo followed with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 8-5.

Carrillo turned in one of the top offensive performances of the tournament for Wayland Baptist, finishing 3-for-4 with a home run, double, four RBIs, and two runs scored. Davis-Pena also had a strong outing, going 2-for-3 with three runs scored, a double, and a stolen base. McLaurin collected two hits, while Jaramillo added two RBIs.

Despite the loss, the Pioneers achieved their best season in program history, amassing 33 wins in the season.