Championship Central
TROY, Ala. – Seventh-seeded Coastal Carolina and ninth-seeded James Madison both improved to 3-0 in the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Championship with semifinal wins on Friday at the Troy University Softball Complex.
The Chanticleers (40-17) will meet the Dukes (28-25) in Saturday’s championship game. First pitch is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
Game 7: (7) Coastal Carolina 6, (3) Louisiana 1 (Box Score)
Coastal Carolina clinched a spot in the championship game for the second time in program history and first since 2019 behind a five-run fourth inning and Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year Nicolette Picone’s third-straight complete game in the circle.
Picone permitted just four hits and two walks while striking out four and improved to 3-0 with a 1.33 ERA in 21 innings of work during the tournament. Third baseman Delaney Keith went 3-for-4 with a run scored and outfielder Libby Pippin went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.
The Chanticleers put two runners on base in the top of the third inning before Roose delivered an RBI single through the left side to score Pippin for the game’s first run.
Coastal Carolina’s offense erupted for five runs on six hits – four for extra bases – in the top of the fourth inning. Designated player McKennah Metzger led off with a double before a Reese Collier RBI double just two batters later. Outfielder Clara Hudgens followed with an RBI triple, as Pippin and Keith singled consecutively as part of four-straight hits to increase the advantage to four.
First baseman Georgia Hood scored Pippin on a sacrifice fly, before catcher Maddy Jennings ripped an RBI double down the left field line to score Keith and extend the lead to 6-0.
Louisiana (29-25) put some offense together in the bottom of the sixth on a leadoff single by shortstop Mia Loscano and a two-out walk by first baseman Emily Smith. Third baseman Sam Roe delivered an RBI single through the left side on a 3-2 pitch to score Loscano from and cut the deficit to five, but the Ragin’ Cajuns would draw no closer.
Game 8: (9) James Madison 4, (4) ULM 2 (Box Score)
First baseman Cali Legzdin went 2-for-3 with a pair of home runs and three RBI as Kirsten Fleet earned her second complete-game win in the circle to guide James Madison to its first Sun Belt Softball Championship title game appearance.
The Dukes got to work quickly in the top of the first inning on a one-out single by outfielder Kylee Gleason which set up a two-out homer to left field by Legzdin for a 2-0 lead. James Madison added its third run of the afternoon in the fourth inning when outfielder Raegan Wall laced a two-out triple into right center field and scored just a few pitches later on a wild pitch.
Legzdin did more damage with two outs in the fifth by sending a 2-2 offering over the left field wall for her second homer of the day, extending the Dukes’ advantage to 4-0.
ULM (35-22) cut its deficit in half with a two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth, beginning with a walk by outfielder Meagan Brown. Two pitches later, her sister, second baseman Morgan Brown, crushed a two-run home run to straightaway center field to pull within two, 4-2.
The home run ended a 14-inning scoreless streak in the circle by Fleet, who got help from a diving catch by Wall to end the inning and another scoring threat by the Warhawks.
ULM’s leadoff hitter in the bottom of the seventh reached on an error, but Fleet closed the door with three-consecutive fly outs to end the game and send the Dukes to the championship game.
2025 Sun Belt Conference Softball Championship
Wednesday, May 7
Game 1 – No. 7 Coastal Carolina def. No. 10 Southern Miss, 7-2
Game 2 – No. 9 James Madison def. No. 8 Troy, 5-4
Thursday, May 8
Game 3 – No. 3 Louisiana def. No. 6 App State, 2-1
Game 4 – No. 7 Coastal Carolina def. No. 2 Marshall, 5-2
Game 5 – No. 9 James Madison def. No. 1 Texas State, 2-0
Game 6 – No. 4 ULM def. No. 5 Georgia Southern, 9-2
Friday, May 9
Game 7 – No. 7 Coastal Carolina def. No. 3 Louisiana, 6-1
Game 8 – No. 9 James Madison def. No. 4 ULM, 4-2
Saturday, May 10
Championship – No. 7 Coastal Carolina vs. No. 9 James Madison – 1:30 p.m. CT (ESPN2)