DUNCAN, S.C. – Top seed Francis Marion University won their fourth straight Conference Carolinas Softball Championship on Monday with a pair of wins over seventh seed University of Mount Olive.
Francis Marion for the decisive game, defeating Mount Olive 9-0 in the opening contest. The Patriots opened the scoring with four runs in the fourth inning, three coming on a triple from Madalyn White. The Patriots added three on a Rylee Gray double in the fifth before Maddy Golka ripped a two-run double in the sixth to give Francis Marion a 9-0 lead. That was all Patriot pitcher Alyssa Poston need as she allowed seven hits in six innings and struck out two.
The winner-take-all game went back-and-forth early as Francis Marion took a 2-0 lead on a Golka single in the first inning. However, Mount Olive responded with five runs in the second inning, highlighted by a two-run triple from Samantha Taylor to take a 5-2 lead. The Patriots evened the score at five with three runs in the second, two on a double from McKenzie Jewell. Kynley Brewer gave the lead back to Mount Olive with run-scoring single in the third before Francis Marion responded in the bottom of the inning.
The Patriots plated four runs to take a 9-5 lead. The Francis Marion lead grew to 11-6 with two runs in the fourth inning before the Patriots finished the game with three runs in the sixth inning to take the game 14-6.
Francis Marion earns the automatic bid into the NCAA Division II Softball Championship. The selections will be announced on Monday, May 11.
CHAMPIONSHIP PAGE | BRACKET
2026 Softball Championship Awards
Builders Services of North Carolina Elite 26 Award
Jenna Walling, Francis Marion
All-Tournament Team
MVP – Jenna Walling, Francis Marion
Anderson Thrower, Francis Marion
Alyssa Poston, Francis Marion
Rylie Webster, Francis Marion
Emma King, Mount Olive
Alex Steen, Mount Olive
Samantha Taylor, Mount Olive
Olivia Haag, Southern Wesleyan
Reagan Fulcher, Southern Wesleyan
Kyra Helton, Chowan
Ava Mizell, Chowan
Lilly Jones, Young Harris
Gracee Stucki, Converse
2026 Conference Carolinas Softball Championship
Tyger River Park | Duncan, South Carolina
Play-in Round – Thursday, April 23
Game 1: No. 9 King def. No. 8 Belmont Abbey, 5-0
BOX SCORE
Game 2: No. 7 Mount Olive def. No. 10 Barton, 5-2
BOX SCORE
Game 3: No. 12 Converse def. No. 5 UNC Pembroke, 5-3
BOX SCORE
Game 4: No. 6 Chowan vs. No. 11 Erskine, 5-4 (F/8)
BOX SCORE
First Round - Thursday, April 23
Game 5: No. 1 Francis Marion def. No. 9 King, 11-5
BOX SCORE
Game 6: No. 7 Mount Olive def. No. 2 Young Harris, 15-3
BOX SCORE
Game 7: No. 12 Converse def. No. 4 North Greenville, 3-2
BOX SCORE
Game 8: No. 3 Southern Wesleyan def. No. 6 Chowan, 4-3
BOX SCORE
Second Round - Friday, April 24
Game 9: No. 1 Francis Marion def. No. 12 Converse, 8-0
BOX SCORE
Game 10: No. 7 Mount Olive def. No. 3 Southern Wesleyan, 5-3
BOX SCORE
Game 11: No. 6 Chowan def. No. 9 King, 10-3
BOX SCORE
Game 12: No. 2 Young Harris def. No. 4 North Greenville, 3-2
BOX SCORE
Game 13: No. 6 Chowan def. No. 12 Converse, 7-2
BOX SCORE
Game 14: No. 3 Southern Wesleyan def. No. 2 Young Harris, 3-2
BOX SCORE
Semifinal Round - Saturday, April 25
Game 15: No. 7 Mount Olive def. No. 1 Francis Marion, 1-0
BOX SCORE
Game 16: No. 3 Southern Wesleyan vs. No. 6 Chowan, 13-10
BOX SCORE
Game 17: No. 1 Francis Marion def. No. 3 Southern Wesleyan, 7-0
BOX SCORE
Championship - Sunday, April 26
Game 18: No. 1 Francis Marion def. No. 7 Mount Olive, 9-0
BOX SCORE
Game 19: No. 1 Francis Marion def. No. 7 Mount Olive, 14-6
BOX SCORE