COLUMBUS, Ga. – Fort Valley State University softball (22-0) picked up two wins to open play at the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Championship.

The Wildcats defeated the No. 2 seed from the West Division, Spring Hill College (26-21), 3-2 in their first game of the day. They capped off the afternoon with a dominant 9-1 win over the No. 4 seed from the West, Lane College (16-24).

The matchup with the Badgers was a pitchers' duel from start to finish. Fort Valley State struck first in the top of the first inning with an RBI single to left field from Jasmin Stewart. Spring Hill answered in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI single of its own to tie the game at 1-1. SHC then took its first and only lead on a base hit in the bottom of the third. The Wildcats responded in the top of the fifth, bringing out the big bats and plating two runs to retake the lead. Leah Leonard drove in the first with a two-base blast, and Alexia Scott delivered the eventual game-winning run with a sacrifice fly to right field. FVSU held SHC scoreless over the final two frames to secure the 3-2 victory.

Fort Valley State tallied five hits in the game, each coming from a different hitter. Zayla Skakel, Leonard, Stewart, Laila Leverett, and Taylor Orr each recorded a hit, while Leonard, Scott, and Stewart each notched an RBI.

Tenison Myricks got the start and picked up the win in the circle for FVSU, tossing a complete seven innings. She allowed just two runs on seven hits while striking out four.

The Wildcats closed out the day with a lopsided win over Lane College. The Dragons struck first with a run in the top of the first inning, but FVSU quickly responded with a solo home run from Myricks, her first of the season, to tie the game in the second. Jennifer Ramirez gave the Wildcats their first lead with an RBI single to left field and later scored on a pair of throwing errors to make it 3-1. Fort Valley State added two insurance runs in the fourth inning, as Myricks delivered another RBI, this time on a single to the right side, followed by a Hailey Bracey RBI groundout to make it 5-1. After a quiet fifth inning, the Wildcats erupted for a four-run sixth. Leonard forced an error that allowed the sixth run to score, and Leverett added an RBI single to left field. Orr grounded out to second to plate another run, and Leverett later scored on a wild pitch to secure the 9-1 run-rule victory.

Myricks led the offense, going 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored, and two RBIs. Ramirez also had a strong performance, finishing 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Leverett rounded out the multi-hit performers, going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Gabrielle Stonecypher earned the win, throwing a complete six-inning game. She allowed just one run on three hits while striking out four.

The Wildcats return to action Tuesday, April 29, at 1:30 p.m. ET to face the No. 2 seed from the East Division, Albany State University.