FORT VALLEY, Ga. — The Fort Valley State Wildcats showcased resilience and determination during a three-game stretch against Edward Waters University at Wildcat Softball Stadium and Wildcat Field on March 6–7. After a tough opening loss, the Wildcats bounced back with a thrilling victory in the nightcap before battling down to the final inning in a narrow contest the following day.
Game 1: Edward Waters 5, Fort Valley State 2
The opening game of the doubleheader began as a tightly contested pitching duel, with both teams holding each other scoreless through the first four innings.
Edward Waters eventually broke through in the fifth inning and added insurance runs in the sixth and seventh to secure the 5–2 win. Despite the result, the Wildcats found success at the plate, out-hitting the Lady Tigers 9–7 but struggled to convert key scoring opportunities.
Tayler Graham paced the Wildcats offensively, going 2-for-4, while Megan. Blanks delivered a triple and scored one of Fort Valley's two runs.
In the circle, Gabrielle Stonecypher turned in a solid performance, pitching 5.1 innings and recording two strikeouts while keeping the Wildcats within striking distance for most of the contest.
Game 2: Fort Valley State 5, Edward Waters 4
The Wildcats responded in dramatic fashion in the second game of the day, holding off a late Edward Waters rally to claim a hard-fought 5–4 victory.
Fort Valley's offense came alive early, building a lead that ultimately proved just enough to withstand a four-run surge from the Tigers in the fifth and sixth innings.
Zoe Molina led the charge with a standout performance, going 2-for-3 with a triple, while Darianna Sosa added a key RBI in a 1-for-3 effort.
In the circle, Taylor Watson delivered 4.1 strong innings, allowing only two runs before turning things over to the bullpen. Danielle Bacon shut the door in relief, pitching the final 1.2 innings without allowing a run to earn the save and secure the Wildcats' victory.
Fort Valley also stayed aggressive on the base paths, with T. Graham and Mariah Williams each swiping a base in the win.
Game 3: Edward Waters 2, Fort Valley State 1
The series finale on March 7 turned into another defensive battle as both teams leaned heavily on their pitching staffs.
Fort Valley State struck first in the bottom of the third inning, taking a 1–0 lead and controlling the game deep into the afternoon. However, Edward Waters managed to push across two runs in the sixth inning to edge ahead.
The Wildcats continued to threaten offensively in the late innings but were unable to bring home the tying run, falling 2–1 despite collecting 10 hits in the contest.
Williams led the offense with a 2-for-4 performance, while Marley Quammie and Jasmin Stewart also recorded two hits apiece. T. Graham finished 1-for-3 and scored the Wildcats' lone run, while Molina added a clutch double.
Stonecypher once again delivered a strong outing in the circle, pitching 5.1 innings and keeping Edward Waters off the scoreboard for much of the game. D. Bacon followed with 1.2 innings of relief, allowing just one hit to keep the Wildcats within striking distance.
Defensively, Fort Valley was sharp, recording 21 putouts and 14 assists, including two caught-stealing plays from the battery.
Despite the close finish in the series finale, Fort Valley demonstrated its ability to compete inning-for-inning and will look to turn those scoring opportunities into wins as the Wildcats hit the road to face the Golden Tigers of Tuskegee University at Bill Noble Park in Gardendale, AL for the SIAC Crossover on Tuesday, March 10 at 10:30 a.m. CST.
