MONTGOMERY, Ill. (naccsports.org) --- Top-seeded Dominican University used a pair of sixth-inning rallies to defeat third-seeded Benedictine University twice Sunday to capture the 2026 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Softball Tournament title at Bedrosian Stadium at Spartan Athletic Park.

The Stars (29-16), who were forced to battle thorugh the consolation bracket after a Friday loss to the Eagles, won their second tournament crown in three years and secured the NACC's automatic berth in the 2026 NCAA Division III Softball Championships.

The championship bracket will be revealed at 10 a.m. CT on Monday, May 11 during a selection show live-streamed on NCAA.com. The 64-team field will consist of 42 automatic qualifiers and 22 at-large bids.  

Game 1 - No. 1 Dominican 10, No. 3 Benedictine 7
Benedictine grabbed the early lead with four runs in the top of the first inning. The Eagles had five hits in the frame, including four straight singles that chased NACC Pitcher of the Year Hannah Richards from the game after just two-thirds of an inning.

Rhiannon Rubio entered in relief and got Lauryn Olson to ground out to end the inning.

The Stars responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the first inning. Madisen Butler plated Paytin Salfi on a bases-loaded RBI single. Raegyn Davis scored on a wild pitch moments later, while Sara Cornell hit a two-run double.

The Eagles tacked on three more runs in the second inning as Morgan Bruno drew a walk to lead off the frame, then moved to second on a single to center by Lauren Bogard. The pair came into score three batters later on a two-run double by Taylor Oppenhuis. Oppenhuis then came around on a Mia Giammarese single to give Benedictine a 7-4 lead.

Isabella Olmos cut into the advantage with a two-run home run to left field in the second inning, then drew a bases-loaded walk in the third inning to tie the game at 7-7.

Both teams worked around a hit in the fourth inning and retired the side in order in the fifth.

Dominican struck again in the sixth inning. Olmos led off the inning with a triple to right field, then scored on a Salfi RBI single to give the Stars an 8-7 lead. A double play allowed Benedictine a chance at a reset, but Ryley Davis drew a walk and scored on an RBI double by Charlie Harris. Kailee Diaz Randall followed with an RBI single to score Harris and extend the Dominican lead to 10-7. A pair of walks reloaded the bases, but Benedictine reliever Maya Rudy was able to prevent any further damage with a pop-out to shortstop to end the inning.

Giammarese reached on a two-out single up the middle in the seventh inning, but Rubio was able to get Jasmine Lozano to ground out to end the game and force a winner-take-all contest.

Rubio picked up the win in the circle for Dominican. She allowed just three earned runs while scattering seven hits and a walk over the last 6-1/3 innings.

Four different Stars - Kayla Amormino, Cornell, Davis, and Olmos - had two hits. Olmos added three RBIs, while Cornell had two.

Benedictine reliever Claire Stillwell took the loss, allowing four earned runs on seven hits and four walks over 4-2/3 innings.

Giammarese had a team-high three hits, while Bruno and Oppenhuis both had two hits and two runs scored. Bruno also drew two walks, while Oppenhuis drove in three.

Game 2 - No. 1 Dominican 7, No. 3 Benedictine 6
Similar to the first game, Benedictine got off to a quick start in the finale. Morgan Bruno and Lauren Bogard rapped back-to-back singles to left to open the game. Haley Barnes and Alyssa Perkins then drew consecutive walks to first load the bases, then push Bruno across for the game's first run. The Eagles then hit into three consecutive fielder's choices to end the inning, with the first generating a run to give Benedictine a 2-0 lead.

Dominican responded with three runs on four hits, including three straight singles to open the frame. Isabella Olmos scored on a Raegyn Davis RBI single. Davis then scored on a Madisen Butler sacrifice fly, while Ryley Davis scored one batter later when Sara Cornell rapped a single up the middle to give the Stars a 3-2 lead.

Benedictine tied the game in the third as Barnes scored on a Perkins RBI double, then took a 4-3 lead in the fourth when Lauryn Olson tripled to right center, scoring Jenna Bartke. The Eagles tacked on two more runs in the fifth as Barnes scored on an RBI bunt single by Taylor Oppenhuis. Oppenhuis moved to third on a Mia Giammarese single, then scored on an errant pickoff attempt by Dominican's Raegyn Davis behind the plate.

Davis was able to make up for her error in the top of the fifth by blasting a solo home run to left field in the bottom half of the frame to cut the deficit to 6-4.

After holding Benedictine scoreless in the sixth, the Stars opened their half of the frame with back-to-back hits. Kayla Amormino smashed a one-out two-run double to left center to tie the game at 6-6. Amormino then put Dominican in front, 7-6, after crossing the plate on an Olmos RBI single up the middle.

Leading off the seventh for the Eagles, Barnes pushed the count full but was struck out swinging by Dominican reliever Rhiannon Rubio for the first out of the inning. Rubio then got the next two batters to fly out to end the game.

Rubio - who was named most valuable player of the 2026 NACC Softball All-Tournament Team - picked up the win in relief for Dominican, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits while striking out two over the last three innings. Liberty Rivard threw the first four innings, scattering four runs on five hits and three walks and did not factor into the decision.

McKenzie Johnson took the loss for Benedictine. She was charged with all seven Dominican runs, scattering 10 hits and three walks while striking out two in 5-1/3 innings.

Bruno and Barnes each had two hits for Benedictine, while Perkins and Oppenhuis both drove in a pair.

Four Stars - Amormino, Cornell, Raegyn Davis, and Olmos all registered two hits with Davis and Amormino each recording two RBIs. Davis also scored twice.

2026 NACC Softball All-Tournament Team
Rhiannon Rubio, so., P, Dominican (MVP)
Kayla Amormino, so., OF, Dominican
Sara Cornell, so., OF, Dominican
Isabella Olmos, so., INF, Dominican
Haley Barnes, gr., INF, Benedictine
Lauren Bogard, so., OF, Benedictine
Morgan Bruno, sr., INF, Benedictine
Julia Moker, sr., OF, Concordia Wisconsin
Jenna Shadoski, jr., OF, Concordia Wisconsin
Sam Marchant, jr., C, Lakeland
Natalie Ziebell, so., RHP, Lakeland