Jacksonville State defeated Liberty 7-4 in the final of the 2026 Conference USA Softball Championship, according to a May 9 announcement. The game took place at Delaware Softball Diamond and was a rematch of last year’s title contest.
This win marks Jacksonville State’s first Conference USA tournament championship, earning them a spot in the upcoming NCAA Division I Softball Championship. Liberty, which entered as the No. 3 seed and had won the previous two championships, ended its season with a record of 29-28 after opening this year’s tournament with three straight victories.
The Lady Flames built an early lead with back-to-back home runs by Brynn McManus and Savannah Jessee in the third inning and added another run on a double steal play in the fourth. However, Jacksonville State responded by scoring four runs in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game. Key moments included Amber Reed’s RBI double and Kailey Martin’s two-run homer for Jacksonville State late in the game.
Liberty outhit Jacksonville State seven to five but left seven runners on base. Camden Anders pitched all seven innings for Liberty but allowed seven runs (four earned) on five hits. Notably, McManus batted two-for-three with a home run while Jessee hit her tenth homer of the season.
Savannah Jessee, Savanah Whatley, Brynn McManus, and Camden Anders were named to the CUSA Softball All-Tournament Team for their performances during this championship run.
The result ends Liberty’s streak of NCAA Regional appearances at five seasons and marks their first full season since 2019 without qualifying for postseason play under head coach Dot Richardson.
