LAFAYETTE, La. -- Marshall and Louisiana will meet in Saturday’s 2023 Sun Belt Softball Championship Final. 
 
Marshall put together a strong performance against South Alabama in the first semifinal matchup of the night, sealing its fate with a two-out RBI single at the bottom of the sixth to advance to the Championship game. 
 
Louisiana, the regular season champion, proved why it earned the tournament’s top seed, defeating Texas State 4-1 to move on to the title game. 
 
The 2023 Sun Belt Softball Championship will kick off on Saturday, May 13 at 1 p.m. CT at the Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+. 
 
Game 7: (2) Marshall 3, (3) South Alabama 2 [Box Score]
 
No. 2 seed Marshall pushed across a two-out run in the bottom of the sixth to earn a 3-2 victory over No. 3 seed South Alabama on Friday afternoon in the semifinal round of the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Championship. 
 
Marshall advances to Saturday’s Championship game, while South Alabama sees its 14-game win streak come to a close with the loss. 
 
Both pitchers pitched around leadoff errors in the opening frame, but the highlight came in the bottom half when the Jags’ Bailey Welch made a diving grab on a low liner off the bat of Sydney Bickel and doubled off Alex Coleman at first.


South Alabama’s Abby Allen reached on a two-base, one-out error in the top of the third – the first runner in scoring position by either club – but Marshall’s Sydney Nester retired the next two Jag batters to leave the runner stranded.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Herd’s Bri Godfrey reached on an infield single, after initially being called out on the play, but upon video replay, was ruled safe. After a strikeout, Godfrey moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, and then came home one batter later on an RBI single to center by Coleman (0-1). Bickel then reached on a fielding error and Autumn Owens singled to center to plate the second run of the inning (0-2). 

South Alabama answered right back its next time at the plate. Mackenzie Brasher led off the fourth inning with an infield single, South's first hit of the contest. After a fielder's choice by Victoria Ortiz, Gabby Stagner worked the count full and unloaded on a ball that went deep over the wall in left center to tie the game at 2-2.

Allen worked the count full and earned a free pass to lead off the Jaguar fifth, and Marley Sims went the other way to line a single to left to put a pair on, but Nester didn't allow the runners to advance any further, retiring the next three.

Marshall retook the lead in its half of the sixth. Camryn Michallas drew a two-out walk and Rielly Lucas singled through the right side of the infield. Michallas then scored from second when Lucas' infield hit – her third of the contest – deflected off Sims' glove and trickled into shallow center.
 
Game 8: (1) Louisiana 4, (5) Texas State 1 [Box Score]

After a quiet two innings the No. 24-ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball team used the element of surprise to break through and capture a 4-1 win over Texas State on Friday in the semifinal round of the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Tournament at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park. 
 
After Maddie Hayden singled and Victoria Valdez doubled to start the third inning in a scoreless contest, the Ragin’ Cajuns (45-13) went to the short game with Cecilia Vasquez putting down the bunt simply seeking to push her teammates along the base path. 
 
Vasquez was able to drop the bunt at an angle that wedged the ball between Texas State pitcher Jessica Mullins and first baseman JJ Smith and rolled into no-man’s land allowing both Hayden and Valdez to score for a 2-0 lead and Vasquez to wind up on second base with a double. 
 
The Bobcats (34-23-1) had a quick reply with an RBI double and were looking to get even again when the arm of Mihyia Davis came to Louisiana’s rescue. Davis picked up Karmyn Bass’ single to center field and fired a throw to home that stopped Megan Kelnar from scoring a would-be equalizing tally. 
 
After Davis’ heroic throw it was Kandra Lamb (4.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 5 K), who entered in relief in the third inning, heating up with a pair of strikeouts in the fourth inning to begin the first of four full scoreless frames thrown to close the night. 
 
Insurance runs for Lamb came in the form of Maddie Hayden’s RBI single that plated Alexa Langeliers who looped a two-out double into left field in the fourth inning and a two-out home run crush from Sophie Piskos in the fifth inning that increased the lead to 4-1. 
 
Lamb preserved the triumph in the sixth inning when the first sign of danger during her relief stint arose. The Bobcats loaded the bases with a pair of singles and a two-out walk. Pinch hitter Emilee Baker worked a full count, but Lamb won the seven-pitch at bat with a crucial strikeout looking. 
 
An inning later with the Bobcats down to their final out, Lamb clamped down again after a leadoff bunt single by eventually getting a strikeout swinging of Sara Vanderford in a marathon 12-pitch at bat. 
 
The win advanced the Ragin’ Cajuns into the championship game of the SBC Tournament on Saturday, May 13 at 1:00 p.m. at Lamson Park where the hosts will face conference newcomer Marshall for the automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. 
 
2023 Sun Belt Softball Championship
 
Wednesday, May 10
Game 1 – (7) Coastal Carolina 4, (10) Southern Miss 2
Game 2 – (8) ULM 4, (9) Georgia State 1
 
Thursday, May 11
Game 3 – (3) South Alabama 4, (6) James Madison 1 
Game 4 – (2) Marshall 2, (7) Coastal Carolina 1
Game 5 – (5) Texas State 3, (4) Troy 0 
Game 6 – (1) Louisiana 3, (8) ULM 1
 
Friday, May 12
Game 7 – (2) Marshall 3, (3) South Alabama 2
Game 8 – (1) Louisiana 4, (5) Texas State 1
 
Saturday, May 13
Game 9 – (1) Louisiana vs. (2) Marshall – 1:00 p.m. CT