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LAFAYETTE, La. – Third-seeded Texas State and fifth-seeded South Alabama used timely hitting and key pitching performances to secure semifinal victories in the 2026 Sun Belt Conference Championship on Friday evening at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park.
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\nThe Bobcats (38-19) will meet the Jaguars (31-25) in Saturday\u2019s championship game. First pitch is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
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\nTexas State and South Alabama will both be making their sixth Sun Belt title game appearance, respectively, but it will be the first meeting between the programs in the tournament final. The Bobcats have won two tournament crowns (2018 & 2024), and the Jaguars have hoisted the trophy three times (2012, 2013 & 2015).
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\nGame 7: (3) Texas State 10, (10) Coastal Carolina 2 (6 inn.) (Box Score<\/a>)
\nTexas State advanced to its second tournament championship game in the last seasons by scoring its first nine runs with two outs and getting five innings of three-hit ball and five strikeouts from junior left-handed pitcher Maddy Azua.
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\nBobcats sophomore outfielder Harley Vestal went 3-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored, while redshirt junior second baseman Kat Zarate and junior third baseman Kate Bubela added two hits apiece and combined for five RBIs.
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\nThe Chanticleers applied pressure by putting their first two batters on base in the top of the first inning before sophomore outfielder McKennah Metzger bounced a ball back to the circle with two outs that was deflected by the pitcher and allowed senior third baseman Delaney Keith to score from third for the game\u2019s first run.
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\nTexas State erupted to the tune of six-consecutive hits with two outs in the bottom of the frame beginning with a single by senior first baseman Aiyana Coleman and Zarate clobbering a 1-1 pitch over the bleachers in left center field to take a 2-1 lead.
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\nThe Bobcats added four-straight singles from that point, capped by back-to-back RBI singles by senior designated player Karmyn Bass and senior catcher Megan Kelnar to increase the margin to 4-1.
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\nCoastal Carolina cut its deficit in half when senior utility Kaelin Cash led off the top of the fourth inning with an opposite field home run off the scoreboard in right field.
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\nTexas State compounded another two-out rally in the bottom of the frame with runs on a passed ball and an infield single. Those scoring plays were followed by Bubela\u2019s second three-run home run in as many days to expand the advantage to 9-2.
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\nThe Bobcats loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth and drew a walk to bring in the game\u2019s final run.
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\nGame 8: (5) South Alabama 3, (1) ULM 1 (Box Score<\/a>)
\nSouth Alabama junior right-handed pitcher Ryley Harrison fired a complete-game, 2-hit masterpiece with eight strikeouts to send the Jaguars to their first Sun Belt championship game since 2021. She walked two and allowed one unearned run in the 97-pitch effort.
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\nThe Warhawks took advantage of a Jaguars throwing error with two outs in the bottom of the first inning, as redshirt sophomore second baseman Morgan Brown hustled around third base to score the game’s first run on the play.
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\nSouth Alabama responded in the top half of the second with a hustle play of its own. Freshman pinch runner Edy Gavin raced home from third on a throw from ULM\u2019s catcher to first base after a strikeout. Gavin slid head first around the tag and touched home plate to tie the game, 1-1.
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\nThe Jags took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third on an RBI double into the gap to right center by junior third baseman Olivia Branstetter, scoring freshman pinch runner Gracie McDonald from first base. They added their third and final run in the subsequent inning on a one-out sacrifice fly to deep right field by freshman utility Kara Wine.
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\nHarrison found a groove in the circle, retiring 14-consecutive hitters between spanning the final out of the first inning to the first out of the sixth before the Warhawks could break her rhythm.
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\nULM started a rally in the bottom of the sixth, putting runners on first and second with consecutive one-out walks, but Harrison bared down to escape the jam unscathed and retired the side in order in the seventh to close out the victory.
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\n2026 Sun Belt Softball Championship Schedule
\nWednesday, May 6
\nGame 1 \u2013 No. 10 Coastal Carolina def. No. 7 Georgia Southern, 6-2
\nGame 2 \u2013 No. 8 Louisiana def. No. 9 Troy, 5-0
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\nThursday, May 7
\nGame 3 \u2013 No. 3 Texas State def. No. 6 James Madison, 5-2
\nGame 4 \u2013 No. 10 Coastal Carolina def. No. 2 Marshall, 6-0
\nGame 5 \u2013 No. 1 ULM def. No. 8 Louisiana, 3-0
\nGame 6 \u2013 No. 5 South Alabama def. No. 4 Southern Miss, 13-0 (5 inn.)
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\nFriday, May 8
\nGame 7 \u2013 No. 3 Texas State def. No. 10 Coastal Carolina, 10-2 (6 inn.)
\nGame 8 \u2013 No. 5 South Alabama def. No. 1 ULM, 3-1
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\nSaturday, May 9
\nChampionship \u2013 No. 3 Texas State vs. No. 5 South Alabama \u2013 1:30 p.m. CT (ESPN2)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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