Championship Central
Box Scores: Game 5 | Game 6 | Game 7 | Game 8
 
LAFAYETTE, La. – It was a day of close contests at 2018 Sun Belt Softball Championship with Texas State and Louisiana holding serve as top seeds and Troy and UTA keeping their postseason hopes alive.
 
The second day saw the lowest-scoring, four-game day (seven runs) in championship history, setting up an intriguing tripleheader on Friday. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. (CT) from Alfred and Helen Lamson Park. All games are set for live coverage exclusively on ESPN+ with Drew Fellios and Francesca Enea on the call.
 
Top-seeded Texas State kicked off the day with a critical tournament-opening win, a 1-0 victory over fifth-seeded Troy, on the strength of a five-hit shutout from senior pitcher Randi Rupp. Rupp struck out six and did not surrender a walk in 97 pitches thrown. The Bobcats scored their only run in the fourth inning, coming on an RBI sacrifice fly by sophomore first base Hailey MacKay. Her flyout plated junior outfielder Mari Cranek scampering in from third base after her fourth triple of the season.
 
Louisiana had a flare of the dramatic in its 2-1 win over third-seeded Georgia State. With the scored tied 1-1, the host Ragin Cajuns came to the final at-bat looking to keep the game from going into extras. Back-to-back, two-out singles from senior outfielder Kelli Martinez and junior third base Kara Gremillion put Louisiana in prime position. On the next play, Martinez scored on when the Panthers (31-23) attempted a force out at second, but Gremillion slid into the bag before the throw to allow the run to score.
 
Troy rebounded in its second game of the day with a 1-0 triumph over sixth-seeded South Alabama. Junior pitcher Peyton Glover scattered three hits in going the distance for the Trojans. Troy got the offense it needed in the fourth as singles by freshman Talia Truitt and junior outfielder Taylor Corbett sandwiched a Jaguar throwing error to produce the game’s only run.
 
In the nightcap, fourth-seeded UTA upended Georgia State 2-0 in extras the 11th extra-inning game in Sun Belt Championship history. The game-clinching scores came in the 11th inning when sophomore third base Brittany Wyllie drove a triple off the wall in left center with one out to break the scoreless tie.
 
Follow the 2018 championship on Twitter (@SunBelt) and Facebook (fb.com/SunBeltConference).
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
All Times Central and Subject to Change
 
Friday, May 11
Game 9 – #2 Louisiana vs. #1 Texas State (ESPN+), 11:00 AM
Game 10 – #5 Troy vs. #4 UTA (ESPN+), 2:00 PM
Game 11 – Game 9 Loser vs. Game 10 Winner (ESPN+), 5:00 PM
                                             
Saturday, May 12
Game 12 - Championship Game (ESPN+), 1:00 PM
 
Sunday, May 13
NCAA Division I Softball Championship Selection Show (ESPN2), 9:00 PM