No. 1 Chattanooga, No. 3 Samford get dramatic wins at SoCon Softball Championship

No. 1 Chattanooga 8, No. 5 Mercer 7 (9 innings)
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – No. 1 seed Chattanooga outlasted No. 4 seed Mercer, 8-7, in extra innings in the first game of day two at the 2025 SoCon Softball Championship presented by One Spartanburg at Hope Field on Thursday.

The Mocs (40-13) advanced to play at 10 a.m. on Friday against the winner of the UNCG and Samford game. Mercer (33-24) will face No. 7 seed ETSU in an elimination game at 4 p.m. later today.

The top-seeded Mocs struck first, scoring in the bottom of the first inning. Acelynn Sellers hit a two-out two-run home run, bringing Kailey Snell across home plate as well on the blast.

In the third inning, Chattanooga scored the same way it had in the first. Sellers sent her second two-run homer of the day over the left field fence, once again scoring Snell in the process. One inning later, all-freshman team selection Lexi Cooley scored off a single by Snell, making the Mocs lead 5-0 after four innings.

Sellers completed the hat trick in the fifth inning, hitting her third two-run shot of the game. This time SoCon Player of the Year Olivia Lipari scored alongside Sellers as Chattanooga led 7-0.

Mercer’s bats woke up in the sixth inning. Grace Jones, an all-freshman team selection, hit a bases loaded single, scoring Isabel Fernandez to give the Bears their first run of the game and force a pitching change.

Daniella Monaco, who came in as a pinch hitter, and Sydney Harris each had RBI singles on the next two at-bats, before an RBI groundout by Kiki Daniels made the score 7-4. Chattanooga got a strikeout after that, ending the frame and the Bears rally.

In the seventh inning, Mercer placed its first two batters on base via walk. After a strikeout, both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. The Bears would load the bases after a walk, setting the stage for a RBI single by Jones to make the score 7-5.

Hannah Rivers stepped into batter’s box after that and drew a walk, scoring --- on the play and bringing Mercer within one run. The Bears would tie the game at 7-7 following a throwing error, before a foul out and fly out to center field sent the game to the bottom of the frame.

Sellers was walked and pinch ran for to begin the bottom half of the inning. The Mocs laid down a sacrifice bunt on the next at-bat, but Mercer was able to get the lead runner at second to get the first out. A pop out to left field and a line out to shortstop on the next two at-bats sent the contest into extra innings.

The Bears got a leadoff walk but were unable to advance the runner after a sacrifice bunt and being caught stealing. The final out of the frame came on a line out to shortstop. Chattanooga got a double from Snell to place the winning run in scoring position, but she would be stranded there on a groundout, moving the game into the ninth inning.

A 1-2-3 inning by Mercer began the frame, bringing the Mocs back to the plate. A walk from Lipari was followed by a bunt single by Sellers, placing runners on first and second. Baileigh Pitts singled to right field on the next at-bat, loading the bases for the Mocs.

Chattanooga Jayce Purdy would end the game four pitches later with a single down the right field line, which just narrowly missed the glove of the Bears’ first baseman.

SoCon Pitcher of the Year Peja Goold (24-6) tossed 8.1 innings for the Mocs, striking out seven batters and surrendering four hits. Snell and Sellers combined for eight hits and five runs scored, while Cooley was 3-for-4 at the plate for the Mocs.

Sellers’ three home runs tied a SoCon Tournament record for homers in a game. The record was set back in 2022 by Chattanooga’s Reagan Armour.

 
For Mercer, Jones and Harris each had a pair of hits.

No. 3 Samford 5, No. 2 UNCG 4
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The No. 3 seed Samford Bulldogs defeated the No. 2 seed UNCG Spartans, 13-5, on Thursday during the 2025 SoCon Softball Championship presented by One Spartanburg at Hope Field.

Samford (33-21) will now face No. 1 seed Chattanooga at 10 a.m. on Friday, with the winner of that game advancing to the championship round. UNCG (38-17) will face No. 4 seed Wofford in an elimination game later today at 7 p.m.

UNCG got on the board first in the second inning. Back-to-back solo home runs from Laney Deane and Hadley Gardner, an all-freshman team pick, put the Spartans ahead 2-0. The next three batters all reached before Grace Loftin drew a bases loaded walk, giving UNCG a 3-0 lead after two innings.

Samford would get one run back in the third frame. McKayla Cothran hit the tournament’s first triple down the right field line, scoring Joi Hubbard to make the score 3-1 in favor of UNCG.

The Bulldogs gained the lead in the fifth inning. First-team all-conference performer Olivia Shaw hit a three-run blast, moving Samford in front by a score of 4-3. Hubbard hit an one-out RBI double in the next inning, scoring Linsey Hargis to increase the Bulldogs’ lead to two runs.

In the bottom half of the sixth inning, Grace Loftin hit the Spartans’ third solo home run of the game to center field, closing the gap to one run. UNCG would get the go-ahead runner to second base but were unable to tie the game or take the lead, ending the frame with a groundout to the shortstop and a pop out to the pitcher. After holding the Bulldogs scoreless in the top of the seventh, UNCG was not able to move a runner to scoring position in the bottom half, leading to Samford getting the one-run victory.

Jordyn Partain (15-13) picked up the win for Samford out of the bullpen, throwing 3.2 innings and striking out two batters. Shaw and Hubbard both had two hits and a run scored.

Seven different Spartans recorded a hit, with Deane leading the way going 2-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and a RBI.

2025 SoCon Softball Championship
Spartanburg, S.C.
Wednesday, May 7
Game 1: No. 5 Mercer 11, No. 8 Furman 7
Game 2: No. 7 ETSU 12, No. 6 Western Carolina 9
Game 3: No. 5 Mercer 5, No. 4 Wofford 2
Game 4: No. 3 Samford 7, No. 7 ETSU 6

 
Thursday, May 8
Game 5: No. 1 Chattanooga 8, No. 5 Mercer 7 (9 innings)
Game 6: No. 3 Samford 5, No. 2 UNCG 4
Game 7: No. 7 ETSU vs. No. 5 Mercer, 4 p.m.
Game 8: No. 4 Wofford vs. No. 2 UNCG, 7 p.m.
 
Friday, May 9
Game 9: No. 1 Chattanooga vs. No. 3 Samford, 10 a.m.
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 11: Game 10 winner vs. Game 9 loser, 4 p.m.

Saturday, May 10
Game 12: Game 9 winner vs. Game 11 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 13 (if necessary): Game 12 winner vs. Game 12 loser, 4 p.m.