SALEM, Va. — A pair of walk-off finishes and stellar pitching performances highlighted Day 1 of the Mountain East Conference Softball Championship at the James I. Moyer Sports Complex.
MEC regular season divisional winners Glenville State and Fairmont State both navigated the first day of the four-day tournament unscathed, and West Liberty’s walk-off heroics and a masterful performance in the circle by 2025 MEC Pitcher of the Year Addison Mass for the University of Charleston capped a thrilled opening day of softball.
Game 1 — Glenville State 1, Wheeling 0
Kylie Burdick fired seven scoreless innings and the Pioneers won its tournament opening on a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Burdick, an All-MEC first team all-conference pitcher, allowed only three hits and struck out three against one walk to record the win. Zailees Seda, also an All-MEC first team pick, had two of the Pioneers’ four hits. Emma McLean drew the walk in the bottom of the seventh, scoring Madison Webb.
Game 2 — West Liberty 4, Davis & Elkins 2
Sara Simon drilled a pitch to center for a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Hilltoppers the win. Simon finished 3-for-4 to lead the WLU attack. In the circle, All-MEC first team pitcher Kadence Pettit tossed six innings and allowed one earned run with four strikeouts before yielding to the bullpen. Ashlyn Tapman fired two scoreless innings of relief to get the victory.
Lina Gutierrez paced the Senators with a pair of hits.
Game 3 — Charleston 8, Point Park 1
Mass dazzled as she has done all season. In improving to 21-4 on the season, Mass pitched a complete game, allowed one run, four hits, and struck out six. She received support from Reagan West, who finished 3-for-3 with a double, run, stolen base, and two RBIs.
UC’s Kyra Gooler hit a three-run home run in the fifth, and Allison Rubal finished 2-for-4 with one run, one RBI, and a stolen base.
Game 4 — Fairmont State 7, Concord 2
Delaney Haller, an All-MEC first team selection, fired six innings and allowed two runs with five strikeouts to get her 20th win of the season. The Falcons scored four runs in the bottom of the first and never looked back, adding three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Kae Compton recorded a pair of hits and two RBIs, and Brinna Hall, Sydney Emanuel, Alexa Foresha, and Grace Sobeck all drove in a run as Fairmont State took advantage of six Concord errors.
Thursday’s schedule
Noon — Game 5: Glenville State vs. West Liberty — Field 1
Noon — Game 6: Charleston vs. Fairmont State — Field 3
2:30 p.m. — Game 7: Wheeling vs. Davis & Elkins — Field 3
2:30 p.m. — Game 8: Point Park vs. Concord — Field 1
5 p.m. — Game 9: L G6 vs. W G7 — Field 1
5 p.m. — Game 10: L G5 vs. W G8 — Field 3