LAFAYETTE, La. – South Alabama won its fourth Sun Belt Conference Softball Championship in program history with a 3-2 victory over Texas State on Saturday evening at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park on the campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
The Jaguars (32-25) earn the Sun Belt’s automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Softball Championship where they will make their seventh NCAA Regional appearance in program history and first since 2015. The field for the 2026 NCAA Division I Softball Championship will be announced Sunday, May 10 and televised nationally on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT.
South Alabama junior right-hander Ryley Harrison earned her third win in as many days in the circle with eight strikeouts across four innings of relief while allowing five hits and two earned runs and was honored as Sun Belt Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
Both sides went scoreless for the first three innings until South Alabama used a two-out rally in the top of the fourth. Junior third baseman Olivia Branstetter doubled to left with one out, and following a groundout, freshman right fielder Gracie Dees hit an RBI single through the right side to score the game’s first run. Two pitches later, freshman shortstop Lillie Stagner sent an 0-1 pitch deep into the night over the left field fence to put the Jags ahead, 3-0.
South Alabama right-handed starting pitcher Sydney Scapin threw three scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and a pair of walks, while striking out two before handing the ball off to Harrison to start the fourth.
Texas State (38-20) put a pair of runners on base with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning when senior first baseman Aiyana Coleman delivered an RBI single to left center on the seventh pitch of her at bat to trim the deficit to 3-1. The score also marked the first earned run Harrison allowed through her first 13 1/3 innings of work in the tournament.
The Bobcats pulled within one, 3-2, on a solo home run to deep left field by redshirt junior second baseman Kat Zarate with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Harrison allowed a single to outfielder Harley Vestal but earned a nine-pitch strikeout and a groundout for the final two outs to complete the victory.
Coleman and Vestal led Texas State on the night with two hits apiece.
2026 Sun Belt Softball Championship All-Tournament Team
Most Outstanding Player: Ryley Harrison, South Alabama
Olivia Branstetter, South Alabama
Kara Wine, South Alabama
Lillie Stagner, South Alabama
Kate Bubela, Texas State
Kat Zarate, Texas State
Harley Vestal, Texas State
Georgia Hood, Coastal Carolina
Libby Pippin, Coastal Carolina
Meagan Brown, ULM
2026 Sun Belt Softball Championship Schedule
Wednesday, May 6
Game 1 – No. 10 Coastal Carolina def. No. 7 Georgia Southern, 6-2
Game 2 – No. 8 Louisiana def. No. 9 Troy, 5-0
Thursday, May 7
Game 3 – No. 3 Texas State def. No. 6 James Madison, 5-2
Game 4 – No. 10 Coastal Carolina def. No. 2 Marshall, 6-0
Game 5 – No. 1 ULM def. No. 8 Louisiana, 3-0
Game 6 – No. 5 South Alabama def. No. 4 Southern Miss, 13-0 (5 inn.)
Friday, May 8
Game 7 – No. 3 Texas State def. No. 10 Coastal Carolina, 10-2 (6 inn.)
Game 8 – No. 5 South Alabama def. No. 1 ULM, 3-1
Saturday, May 9
Championship – No. 5 South Alabama def. No. 3 Texas State, 3-2