COLUMBUS, Ga. – Fort Valley State University softball (24-20) continued its dominant run through the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Championship Tournament, improving to a perfect 3-0 with an 8-4 win over Albany State (27-14) Tuesday afternoon. With the victory, the Wildcats advance to the SIAC Championship game for the first time since 2012.

FVSU jumped out early as Jasmin Stewart launched a three-run homer in the top of the first. Albany State responded with two runs in the bottom half, then tied the game at 3-3 in the third inning. The Wildcats regained control in the fourth, starting with a Zoe Molina RBI single to make it 4-3. Molina later advanced to third on a pair of throws, setting up Avery Thomas for a sacrifice fly to right, pushing the lead to 5-3. Albany State trimmed the deficit to one with a run in the fifth, but FVSU's offense answered right back. In the sixth, Zayla Skakel drove in a run with an RBI single, Collage Newton followed by drawing a bases-loaded walk, and Stewart capped the scoring with an RBI infield single to extend the lead to 8-4.

Stewart led the Wildcats offensively with a 3-for-4 day, driving in four runs and scoring once behind a home run and a single. Molina, Thomas, Skakel, and Newton each added an RBI, while Tenison Myricks notched the game's only other extra-base hit with a double.

Myricks also earned the win in the circle, tossing four innings and allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits while striking out five. Gabrielle Stonecypher shut the door with three scoreless innings of relief, surrendering just one hit to earn the save.

The Wildcats return to action on Wednesday, April 30 at 1 p.m. ET for the SIAC Championship game.