LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The softball team rallied from the loser's bracket to take the 2025 SLIAC Softball Tournament Championship title. After losing to MUW in the semifinals, the Panthers swept Blackburn and MUW to advance to the championship, where they forced a game two against Spalding and won it all! Greenville earned this title for the second year in a row.
How it Happened:
Championship Game 1:
Josie Grunloh powered Greenville to a 4-1 victory over Spalding in game one, delivering a standout performance with three hits, two RBIs, and three runs scored.
Grunloh opened the scoring in the first inning, crossing the plate on Ashlyn Colvis's RBI single.
Spalding briefly tied the game in the fourth, but Greenville responded in the fifth. Grunloh's RBI single reclaimed the lead before Madi Case added another run-scoring hit.
Grunloh capped her day with a solo inside-the-park home run in the seventh, sealing the win.
Melissa Bernal earned the complete-game win, allowing one run on four hits while striking out three.
Championship Game 2 (W, 8-3):
The Panthers' bats were hot from the start, scoring four runs in the first inning, highlighted by RBI singles from Natalee Moore and Jamey Johnson.
Colvis added a key RBI double in the fourth, while Case capped off the scoring with an RBI single in the seventh.
Valerie Greenley led the 18-hit attack with a 4-for-5 performance, driving in one run.
On the rubber, Sarah Salas was dominant, allowing three runs (one earned) over seven innings while striking out four.
Up Next:
With their impressive performances throughout the season, the Panthers had many all-conference and all-tournament honorees. Bernal was named the SLIAC Pitcher of the Year and also First Team All-Conference. Salas and Case also claimed spots on First Team. Moore and Grunloh received Second Team, while Colvis was named Third Team.
Grunloh and Colvis also made it onto the All-Tournament team, while Salas was named the Tournament MVP for her outstanding work in playoffs.
The Panthers (37-4, 16-2 SLIAC) travel to Illinois Wesleyan on Thursday for the first round of the NCAA Tournament, where they'll face Nebraska Wesleyan at 1:30 p.m.
