Lions Softball Wins ACCC Regular Season Championship After Split at Southern Union

Hanceville, Ala. — The Lions secured the 2025 regular season conference championship with a split of their two-game series at Southern Union. With the 11-8 win in 13 innings, Wallace State claimed the top spot in the conference. Unfortunately, the Lions fell 6-2 in the second game.

The Lions improve to 45-10 overall and 25-5 in conference. Southern Union falls to 38-13 overall and 22-8 in conference play.

GM 1: Wallace State 11, Southern Union 8

With the regular season conference championship on the line, the Lions and Lady Bison battled through 13 innings to determine a winner. Wallace State came out on top when it was all said and done.

Ashlyn Burns gave the Lions a 1-0 lead in the top of the third with a home run to center field. However, Southern Union responded in the bottom of the fourth with two runs to take a 2-1 lead.

With one out in the top of the seventh, Wallace State got a single from Lexie Kelly and a walk to Burns to give the Lions runners at first and second. Tinayja Thomas had a two-out single to bring home Reese Decker, who was running for Kelly. On the next play, Brandy Phillips singled to drive home Burns and Thomas for a 4-2 lead.

The Lady Bison scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 4-4. They continued threatening as they loaded the bases, but Madeline Howard got a flyout to end the inning.

Kaelyn Jones reached second base to start the ninth inning on an error by the Southern Union third baseman. Phillips hit a sacrifice fly and drove home Jones from third base for a 5-4 lead. The Lady Bison responded with a run in the bottom of the ninth to tie and send the game to another inning.

The top of the 10th had plenty of fireworks as Brooklyn Sertell and Leah Graves hit home runs to give the Lions a 7-5 lead. After a pitching change, Decker reached base via a walk. She later scored when Jones tripled to center field to give Wallace State an 8-5 lead.

Unfortunately, Southern Union answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 8-8.

Both teams went scoreless in the 11th and 12th innings to keep the game alive.

Jones started the 13th by reaching base on an error by the Lady Bison's second baseman. After Thomas walked, the Lions had runners at first and second. After Jones advanced to third on a wild pitch, Phillips singled to center to plate Jones for a 9-8 lead. Following a double steal by Thomas and Phillips, Charli Kyser hit a sacrifice fly to left, bringing home Thomas and Phillips for an 11-8 lead.

After a walk to start the bottom of the 13th, Ava Smith got a strikeout and a double play to end the game.

Phillips finished 5-of-6 with four RBIs and a run scored. Sertell had three hits, an RBI, and a run scored, while Jones and Graves each had two hits and an RBI. Jones also scored two runs. Thomas scored two runs, while Kyser had two RBIs.

Smith earned the win with five innings of relief, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out three. Howard started the game and went seven innings, allowing four runs on 10 hits.

GM 2: Southern Union 6, Wallace State 2

The Lions dropped game two with Southern Union by a 6-2 score. Wallace State scored their runs in the top of the first when Phillips doubled and drove home Jones and Thomas, who both singled to start the inning.

Southern Union scored a run in the bottom of the first, four in the second, and one in the fifth to secure their win.

Jones finished 2-of-3 with a run scored to lead the Lions at the plate. Phillips finished with a hit and two RBIs.

Payton Bailey suffered the loss after pitching a complete game, allowing six runs on seven hits while striking out five.

Upcoming

The Lions (45-10, 25-5) come home to wrap up the regular season with their series with Southern Union (38-13, 22-8) on Saturday. They will celebrate Sophomore Day prior to the first game.