Round 3 Morning Session

Day 2 kicked off with high stakes as teams fought to keep their championship dreams alive in the 8:30 a.m. Best-of-7 Baker matches. While the favorites held their ground in some matchups, the upset bug bit hard in both the Men’s and Women’s brackets, setting the stage for a dramatic 4th Round Mega-Match session.

Men’s Division: Lower Seeds Making Noise

The morning was defined by efficient victories and one absolute nail-biter. #12 Ottawa (Kan.) delivered the biggest statement of the round, taking down #8 Aquinas 4-1 to keep their underdog run alive. #7 St. Francis (Ill.) showed similar dominance, cruising past #11 Cumberland with a 4-1 scoreline.

The match of the session, however, belonged to #3 SCAD Savannah and #10 Saint Xavier. In a back-and-forth battle that went the distance, SCAD managed to find the pocket in Game 7 to secure a thrilling 4-3 win. Meanwhile, #4 Calumet-St. Joseph took care of business against #9 Spring Arbor, winning 4-2.

Upcoming 4th Round Pairings:

• #1 Mount Mercy vs. #5 Indiana Tech
• #4 Calumet-St. Joseph vs. #12 Ottawa
• #2 Lawrence Tech vs. #6 Marian
• #3 SCAD Savannah vs. #7 St. Francis

Women’s Division: The Battle of the Eights

The Women’s side saw even more parity, with two matches requiring a full seven games to decide a winner. #8 William Penn survived a scare from St. Francis (Ill.), clinching a 4-3 victory, while #10 Morningside pulled off a gritty upset over #6 Lawrence Tech, also winning 4-3 in the final frame.

#7 Ottawa (Kan.) continued the trend of lower seeds advancing by upsetting #3 Milligan 4-2. Rounding out the session, #5 Spring Arbor showed composure in a 4-2 win over #9 Calumet-St. Joseph to advance.

Upcoming 4th Round Pairings:

• #1 Mount Mercy vs. #4 SCAD Savannah
• #5 Spring Arbor vs. #8 William Penn
• #2 Pikeville vs. #11 Cumberland
• #7 Ottawa vs. #10 Morningside