Championship Central
 
TROY, Ala. – Louisiana, Coastal Carolina, James Madison and ULM earned victories and advanced to the semifinals of the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Softball Championship on Thursday at the Troy University Softball Complex.
 
Third-seeded Louisiana (29-24) outlasted sixth-seeded App State (23-27), 2-1, before seventh-seeded Coastal Carolina (39-17) upset second-seeded Marshall (31-23), 5-2, to set up the first semifinal matchup on Friday at 10 a.m. CT.
 
Ninth-seeded James Madison (27-25) upset top-seeded Texas State (34-19), 2-0, in the third quarterfinal, as fourth-seeded ULM (35-21) dismantled fifth-seeded Georgia Southern (29-25), 9-2, in the final contest of the evening. The Dukes will meet the Warhawks at 12:30 p.m. on Friday.
 
Both semifinal games in the Sun Belt Softball Championship will be broadcast on ESPN+. 
 
Game 3: (3) Louisiana 2, (6) App State 1 (Box Score)
All-Sun Belt Second Team third baseman Sam Roe delivered a walk-off two-run double into right field on a 3-2 pitch with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to send the Ragin’ Cajuns to the Sun Belt Championship semifinals for the 17th-consecutive season.
 
Louisiana freshman right-hander Mallory Wheeler earned the complete-game win allowing just four hits and no walks with six strikeouts. All-Sun Belt Second Team outfielder Maddie Hayden went 3-for-4 with a run scored.
 
After six shutout innings from both teams, App State outfielder Leah Gore broke the scoreless tie in the top of the seventh with a leadoff, opposite field home run over the right center field wall.
 
App State’s All-Sun Belt Second Team left-hander Sophie Moshos retired the first two Louisiana batters she faced in the bottom of the seventh on four pitches. That was followed by the Ragin’ Cajuns’ rally behind an infield single by Hayden, a double by outfielder Dayzja Williams and a walk by Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and first baseman Emily Smith to load the bases, setting up the big moment for Roe who delivered the game-winning hit six pitches later.
 
Gore led the Mountaineers with a 2-for-3 day at the plate which also included a triple off the wall in the first inning.
 
Game 4: (7) Coastal Carolina 5, (2) Marshall 2 (Box Score)
Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year Nicolette Picone went the distance while scattering six hits and one walk with five strikeouts for win No. 26 on the season. All-Sun Belt Second Team second baseman went 2-for-4, and third baseman Delaney Keith added one hit and two runs scored to lift the Chanticleers to their first semifinal appearance since 2022.
 
Coastal Carolina scored twice in the top of the first on an RBI single up the middle by Roose and an RBI groundout by All-Sun Belt Second Team catcher Maddy Jennings. The Chants added three more runs in the third inning on a wild pitch, an RBI single by McKennah Metzger and a pinch-hit RBI double by Reese Collier to widen the lead to 5-0.
 
Marshall got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third on a Kasia Parks single and a pair of defensive errors on the play to score Paige Simpson. Four pitches later, first baseman Rielly Lucas delivered a one-out, RBI single to right field to trim the deficit to three.
 
Parks and Lucas led the Thundering Herd with two hits apiece, as Paige Maynard pitched 4 2/3 innings of scoreless relief while allowing just one hit and one walk.
 
Game 5: (9) James Madison 2, (1) Texas State 0 (Box Score)
James Madison pitcher Kirsten Fleet fired a complete-game shutout and allowed just three hits and two walks while striking out five. The earned Dukes their first Sun Belt semifinal appearance and became the first team to defeat the No. 1 seed in the quarterfinal round in the tournament’s 25-year history.
 
All-Sun Belt First Team utility player Payton List added a solo home run and scored both runs for James Madison.
 
The Dukes got their offense ignited in the top of the first when List was hit by the first pitch of the game and outfielder Kylee Gleason singled through the right side to put two runners on with no one out. Two batters later, first baseman Cali Legzdin singled through the right side to score List for the game’s first run.
 
List led off the top of the third inning with a solo home run to center field on the second pitch she saw to double James Madison’s lead.
 
Texas State put a runner in scoring position in its half of the third and fifth innings but were unable to capitalize as Fleet escaped the Bobcats’ threats.
 
Second baseman Sydney Harvey led Texas State with a 2-for-3 day at the plate, while Emma Strood pitched five shutout innings of one-hit ball.
 
Game 6: (4) ULM 9, (5) Georgia Southern 2 (Box Score)
The Warhawks scored five runs in the bottom of the second following a 44-minute lightning delay with one out in the frame to reach their first Sun Belt semifinal since 2019 and fifth all-time.
 
All-Sun Belt First Team outfielder Meagan Brown went 3-for-3 with a walk and a run scored, as catcher Hollie Thomas added two hits and a pair of runs. Victoria Abrams earned her 11th win of the season in the circle, allowing two runs and four hits while striking out three in four innings of work. Dakota Lake pitched three scoreless innings and allowed two hits to earn her fifth save.
 
After Georgia Southern responded with two runs in the top of the third to trim the deficit to three, ULM added two more runs in the bottom of the third on a home run by All-Sun Belt Second Team designated player Layla Thompson to put the advantage back to five, 7-2.
 
The Warhawks added one run in each of the next two innings, while keeping the Eagles offense at bay to complete the seven-run victory.
 
Outfielder Payton Cushman went 2-for-3 with two RBI to lead Georgia Southern.
 
2025 Sun Belt Conference Softball Championship
 
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. 3 Louisiana vs. No. 7 Coastal Carolina – 10 a.m. CT
Game 8 – No. 4 ULM vs. No. 9 James Madison – 12:30 p.m. CT
 
Saturday, May 10
Championship – Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner – 1:30 p.m. CT (ESPN2)