# 1981 AIAW slow-pitch softball tournament

The 1981 AIAW women's college slow-pitch softball championship was held near Raleigh, North Carolina on May 14–16. Thirteen college softball teams met in the first AIAW national slow-pitch softball tournament. The AIAW conducted only two slow-pitch softball national championships, in 1981 and 1982, as the NCAA sought to and eventually did vanquish the women's collegiate athletic organization.

## Teams

The double-elimination tournament included 13 teams seeded in the following order:
   * Florida State
   * East Carolina
   * North Carolina
   * South Florida
   * North Carolina State
   * Auburn
   * Florida
   * Wilmington College (Ohio)
   * Western Carolina
   * Northern Kentucky
   * Georgia Southern
   * Morehead State (Kentucky)
   * Lakeland Community College (Ohio)
Top-seeded Florida State was the victor in the tournament, winning all four of its games. The team eliminated North Carolina in the final, 4-1, and placed five players on the all-tournament team. Darby Cottle was voted the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. The Lady Seminoles won 16 consecutive games to finish out the season with a record of 54-7. JoAnne Graf, who went on to have a legendary career at the university, coached the team to Florida State's first softball national championship.

## Bracket

| Upper round 1 | Upper round 1 | Upper round 2 | Upper round 2 | Upper round 3 | Upper round 3 | Upper final | Upper final | | | | | Final | Final | Final |
| | | Florida State | 13 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Western Carolina | 9 | | | | | | | | | |
| Wilmington College | 2 | Western Carolina | 9 | | | | | | | | | |
| Western Carolina | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Western Carolina | 5 | | | Florida State | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | North Carolina State | 3 | | | | | | | |
| North Carolina State | 2 | | | North Carolina State | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Morehead State | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Morehead State | 0 | North Carolina State | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Lakeland College | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| South Florida | 1 | Lakeland College | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| Lakeland College | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Lakeland College | 6 | | | | | Florida State | 12 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | East Carolina | 3 | | | | | |
| | | East Carolina | 11 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Florida | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| Florida | 8 | Florida | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| Northern Kentucky | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Northern Kentucky | 2 | | | East Carolina | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | North Carolina | 1 | | | | | | | |
| | | North Carolina | 5 | | Florida State | | | | | | | 4 | – |
| | | Georgia Southern | 1 | | Florida State | | | | | | | North Carolina | 1 | – |
| Auburn | 5 | Georgia Southern | 1 | | | | | | | | | North Carolina | 1 | – |
| Georgia Southern | 12 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Lower round 1 | Lower round 1 | Lower round 2 | Lower round 2 | Lower round 3 | Lower round 3 | Lower round 4 | Lower round 4 | Lower round 5 | Lower round 5 | Lower final | Lower final | | | |
| | | Georgia Southern | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Georgia Southern | 4 | | North Carolina State | 8 | | | | | | | | |
| South Florida | 14 | South Florida | 6 | | North Carolina State | 8 | | | | | | | | |
| South Florida | 14 | South Florida | 6 | South Florida | 2 | South Florida | 1 | | | | | | | |
| Morehead State | 3 | | | South Florida | 2 | South Florida | 1 | | | | | | | |
| Morehead State | 3 | | | Florida | 1 | | | | | East Carolina | 2 | | | |
| | | Florida | 4 | Florida | 1 | | | | | East Carolina | 2 | | | |
| | | Florida | 4 | | | | | North Carolina State | 4 | North Carolina | 3 | | | |
| | | Wilmington College | 1 | | | | | North Carolina State | 4 | North Carolina | 3 | | | |
| | | Wilmington College | 1 | | | | | North Carolina | 14 | | | | | |
| | | Lakeland College | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Lakeland College | 0 | | North Carolina | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | | Auburn | 9 | | North Carolina | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | | Auburn | 9 | Auburn | 1 | Auburn | 0 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Northern Kentucky | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Western Carolina | 5 | Northern Kentucky | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Northern Kentucky | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
Source:
* ↑ 8 innings

## Ranking

| Place | School | WCWS Record |
| 1st | Florida State | 4-0 |
| 2nd | North Carolina | 4-2 |
| 3rd | East Carolina | 2-2 |
| 4th | North Carolina State | 3-2 |
| 5th | South Florida | 3-2 |
| 5th | Auburn | 2-2 |
| 7th | Florida | 2-2 |
| 7th | Northern Kentucky | 2-2 |
| 9th | Georgia Southern | 1-2 |
| 9th | Western Carolina | 1-2 |
| 9th | Lakeland Community College | 1-2 |
| 12th | Morehead State | 0-2 |
| 12th | Wilmington College | 0-2 |