LAFAYETTE, La. - Coastal Carolina and Louisiana earned wins in the first round of the 2026 Sun Belt Conference Softball Championship on Wednesday evening at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park on the campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
 
The No. 10 seed and reigning champions, Coastal Carolina (25-29) defeated seventh-seeded Georgia Southern (24-29), 6-2, in the first game of the day to extend their Sun Belt tournament winning streak to five games dating back to last season. Host and eighth-seeded Louisiana (29-26) topped ninth-seeded Troy (32-22), 5-0, in the nightcap.
 
Coastal Carolina advances to face No. 2 seed Marshall in a rematch of last season’s quarterfinal, and Louisiana moves on to challenge top-seeded and regular season champion ULM.
 
Quarterfinal action at the Sun Belt Softball Championship begins Thursday at 10 a.m. CT. All four games will be broadcast on ESPN+. 
 
Game 1: (10) Coastal Carolina 6, (7) Georgia Southern 2 (Box Score)
Coastal Carolina scored all six runs in the first four innings, and junior right-handed pitcher Abby Henderson pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings of relief with four strikeouts.
 
The Chanticleers manufactured the first run of the game in the top of the first inning with a leadoff walk, single and sacrifice bunt, before graduate designated player Kaelin Cash scored senior third baseman Delaney Keith on a sacrifice fly to right field. The Chants doubled their lead in the second inning on a two-out, RBI single up the middle by junior outfielder Clara Hudgens.
 
Georgia Southern made a pitching change to start the third inning, but Coastal Carolina kept its offense churning with three more runs on consecutive plays and one out in the frame. Sophomore utility McKennah Metzger hit an RBI single to center field, before an RBI double by senior outfielder Libby Pippin and a sac fly by freshman catcher Izzy Ramirez to extend the advantage to 5-0.
 
The Eagles trimmed the deficit to three runs in the bottom of the third with a one-out rally of their own by loading the bases before sophomore first baseman Braelyn Queen delivered a two-run double into left center field to get her team on the scoreboard.
 
Coastal Carolina added a solo home run by fifth-year first baseman Georgia Hood in the fourth inning - her 22nd of the season - to put the Chants up 6-2. The long ball moved her into a tie for seventh place on the Sun Belt’s all-time single-season chart.
 
Georgia Southern left nine runners on base in the contest but received four innings of one-run relief with a pair of strikeouts from freshman left-handed pitcher Kaylee Croft.
 
Game 2: (8) Louisiana 5, (9) Troy 0 (Box Score)
Louisiana scored three runs in the first inning and junior right-hander Sage Hoover pitched a complete-game, two-hit shutout with nine strikeouts to lift the Ragin’ Cajuns to a shutout victory at home.
 
Louisiana used some two-out lightning in the bottom of the first inning and scored three runs on a two-run double to right field by senior shortstop Cecilia Vasquez. Next to hit was sophomore outfielder Mia Norwood who delivered an RBI single to score Vasquez.
 
The Ragin’ Cajuns scored their fourth run of the night in the fourth inning when pinch runner and freshman Miki Watts scored on a wild pitch before increasing the advantage to 5-0 on a successful squeeze play bunt by freshman second baseman Haley Hart in the fifth inning.
 
The Trojans were unable to muster any offensive pressure on Hoover who surrendered no walks in her 96-pitch effort.
 
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 vs. No. 6 James Madison – 10 a.m. CT
Game 4 – No. 2 Marshall vs. No. 10 Coastal Carolina – 1 p.m. CT
Game 5 – No. 1 ULM vs. No. 8 Louisiana – 4 p.m. CT
Game 6 – No. 4 Southern Miss vs. No. 5 South Alabama – 7 p.m. CT
 
Friday, May 8
Game 7 – Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner – 3 p.m. CT
Game 8 – Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner – 6 p.m. CT
 
Saturday, May 9
Championship – Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner – 1:30 p.m. CT (ESPN2)