That elusive Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament Championship is coming to The Highest of Seven Hills.
Florida A&M softball (32-20) defeated Southern (37-15) in a walkoff, 2-1, to hoist the trophy at Saturday, May 9’s winner-takes-all game at Gulfport Sportsplex.
The hotly contested SWAC championship game battled the rainy Gulfport, Mississippi, weather all day, with the start time getting moved from noon Eastern Time to 7 p.m.
FAMU won on a Braxtyn Battle single to left field, which advanced Samantha Smith and scored Kiara Beltre to earn the win at the bottom of the seventh inning.
The run clinched the Rattlers’ first SWAC Championship title since joining the league in 2021. FAMU had appeared in the last two SWAC Tournament championship rounds, but lost both years to Jackson State.
It’s FAMU’s first conference title since completing a four-peat in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 2017.
FAMU outhit Southern 7-2 on Saturday. Beltre led the team with two hits.
Smith pitched the entire seven-inning game and was credited with the SWAC Tournament Championship win.
FAMU entered the SWAC Tournament as a No. 1 seed after winning the league’s East division regular season title.
The Rattlers swept through the competition, beating Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Southern, and Texas Southern to advance to the championship round.
FAMU had one hiccup during the tournament. It lost to Southern 8-0 on Friday, May 8, to force Saturday’s do-or-die game that the Rattlers prevailed in.
Following winning the SWAC title, Smith was named the Tournament’s Most Valuable Player for her dual role as a pitcher and hitter for the Rattlers.
“[Smith] is one of those people. She’s a go-getter,” FAMU’s second-year head coach Brittany Beall told the SWACTV broadcast. “We gave her the ball, and she did a great job.”
Smith, SWAC Player of the Year, Amari Brown, Neriah Lee, and Jamison Townsend were all named to the SWAC’s All-Tournament team.
What’s next for FAMU softball after winning SWAC Tournament title?
The Rattlers are going to the big dance.
FAMU has earned the SWAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, which begins on May 15.
The NCAA will announce the 64-team field on Sunday, May 10. It will be televised on ESPN2, with a start time of 7 p.m.
FAMU could stay local for the tournament.
The neighboring Florida State Seminoles may have a chance to host a regional after winning the Atlantic Coast Conference on Saturday.
Gerald Thomas, III, is a multi-time national award-winning reporter for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat.
Follow his award-winning coverage on RattlerNews.com and contact him via email at GDThomas@Tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU softball captures first SWAC title to clinch NCAA Tournament berth
Reporting by Gerald Thomas III, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
