Championship Central
SAN MARCOS, Texas – The top two seeds in the 2024 Sun Belt Conference Softball Championship will meet in Saturday’s title game as Louisiana and Texas collected semifinal wins Friday evening at Bobcat Stadium on the campus of Texas State University.
Top-seeded Louisiana upended fifth-seeded Troy, 4-2, to earn a spot in its 10th-consecutive title game, while second-seeded Texas State won in comeback fashion against third-seeded South Alabama, 4-3, in eight innings.
First pitch for the championship game is scheduled for 1 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Game 6: (2) Texas State 8, (10) Marshall 2 (Box Score)
After having last night’s quarterfinal matchup postponed due to inclement weather, host and second-seeded Texas State (43-13) used an early offensive attack and strong pitching to defeat 10th-seeded Marshall (25-28), 8-2, and advance to Thursday’s semifinal.
Senior Sara Vanderford went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a triple and four RBI. Senior right-hander Jessica Mullins spun 4 1/3 innings of one-hit ball while walking one and striking out four for her 28th win of the season.
The Bobcats escaped some early pressure from the Thundering Herd in the top of the first with an inning-ending double play, and immediately went to work in the bottom half of the frame. Senior Hannah Earls reached on a throwing error and came around to score on an RBI triple to center field by sophomore Emilee Baker. Vanderford hit the very next pitch to center for an RBI double to build a 2-0 lead.
Texas State wasn’t finished in the inning, as the Bobcats manufactured two more runs when an RBI groundout by senior Piper Randolph scored Vanderford and a sac fly by senior JJ Smith drove extended the advantage to four.
The Bobcats got a run on an RBI groundout early in the bottom of the fourth before Vanderford delivered again with an RBI double to increase the lead to 6-0.
The Thundering Herd loaded the bases and pushed across their first run of the game on an RBI groundout by senior Camryn Michallas in the top of the sixth, but Vanderford responded once more in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run triple down the right field line to push the margin to 8-1.
Marshall added one more run in the top of the seventh on an RBI double by freshman Destiny Washington.
Game 7: (1) Louisiana 4, (5) Troy 2 (Box Score)
Louisiana (42-16) made a late comeback behind a two-out, three-run home run by sophomore Victoria Valdez in the bottom of the sixth inning to upend Troy (34-22) in the first Sun Belt Championship semifinal.
The Cajuns applied pressure on the basepaths in the bottom of the first after sophomore Mihyia Davis drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a sac bunt. A throwing error on the next ball in play allowed Davis to race around third and score the game’s first run.
The Trojans set the table in the bottom of the third on a leadoff single by junior Natalie Turner. After stealing second and a walk by junior Taylor McKinney, the runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Senior pitcher Libby Baker supported her cause by hammering a two-run single to left field and give Troy the 2-1 edge.
One day removed from twirling a no-hitter in the win over Coastal Carolina in the quarterfinal round, Baker continued her dominance in the circle by keeping Louisiana hitless through the first five innings.
The Cajuns broke through in the bottom of the sixth when junior Sam Roe drew a two-out walk and junior Brooke Ellestad broke up the no-hitter with a single to center to put runners on the corners. Valdez delivered the heroics on the first pitch she saw, hammering the go-ahead homer over the left field wall.
Game 8: (2) Texas State 4, (3) South Alabama 3 (8 inn.) (Box Score)
Sophomore Katarina Zarate belted a walkoff home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift Texas State (44-13) to a 4-3 win over South Alabama (32-18-1) in the second Sun Belt Championship semifinal.
Senior Jessica Mullins earned the victory in the circle with 4 2/3 innings of one-hit ball in relief while allowing one run, one walk and striking out nine.
The Bobcats threatened the Jaguars early with back-to-back singles with one out in the bottom of the first inning but were unable to take advantage of the opportunity and left the runners stranded.
The contest remained scoreless through three innings, but South Alabama broke through in the top of the fourth on a solo home run to left field by junior Gabby Stagner. A single by freshman Olivia Branstetter on the next pitch forced a Texas State pitching change, but a wild pitch and walk set up sophomore Odalys Cordova who hammered a two-run double to left field, extending the lead to 3-0.
Jaguars ace Olivia Lackie rolled through five scoreless innings until Texas State broke through in the bottom of the sixth. The Bobcats loaded the bases with a pair of singles and a walk, before sophomore Sydney Harvey hit an RBI single to left field. Senior Hannah Earls was next in the batter’s box, and she slapped an 0-2 pitch up the middle and into center field for a game-tying, two-run single.
Following a scoreless seventh inning, South Alabama went quietly in the top of the eighth when Zarate stepped into the box with one out and hit the first pitch she saw over the left field fence to send the Bobcats to the championship game.
2024 Sun Belt Softball Championship
Wednesday, May 8
Game 1: (8) James Madison 6, (9) Southern Miss 2
Game 2: (10) Marshall 4, (7) Georgia Southern 2 (11 inn.)
Thursday, May 9
Game 3: (1) Louisiana 8, (8) James Madison 0 (5 inn.)
Game 4: (5) Troy 16, (4) Coastal Carolina 0 (5 inn.)
Game 5: (3) South Alabama 2, (6) ULM 1 (12 inn.)
Friday, May 10
Game 6: (2) Texas State 8, (10) Marshall 2
Game 7: (1) Louisiana 4, (5) Troy 2
Game 8: (2) Texas State 4, (3) South Alabama 3 (8 inn.)
Saturday, May 11
Game 9: (1) Louisiana vs. (2) Texas State – 1:00 p.m. CT