Lions Softball Stays Alive with Win Over Southern Union

It was a battle of the top two teams in the ACCC when Wallace State and Southern Union met in an elimination game at the 2025 NJCAA National Softball Tournament. The Lions staved off elimination with a 6-2 win over the Lady Bison. Wallace State (48-14) will play later tonight against the loser of 12th-seeded Chipola and 20th-seeded Navarro.

The Lions jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second when Brooklyn Sertell led off the inning with a home run to center field.

With two outs in the third, Wallace State rallied for four runs to take a 5-0 lead. Brandy Phillips singled to give the Lions their first baserunner of the inning. She advanced to second, following a walk by Charli Kyser. Sertell then singled to drive home Phillips and move Kyser to second. On the next pitch, Blakelyn Austin homered to bring home Kyser and Sertell for the 5-0 lead.

Southern Union cut into the lead with a run in the top of the fifth to make the score 5-1.

The Lions responded with a run in the bottom of the fifth when Austin's single to left drove home Phillips, who had singled earlier in the inning.

The Lady Bison put another run on the board in the sixth but would get no closer in the 6-2 loss.

Austin led Wallace State at the plate with two hits, including a home run, two RBIs, and a run scored. Sertell added two hits, two RBIs, and two runs scored, while Phillips had two hits and two runs scored. Kyser added a hit and a run scored.

Madeline Howard picked up the win after pitching 5.1 innings, allowing two runs on four hits. Phillips pitched 1.2 innings of hitless and scoreless relief while striking out four.