STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Tarleton State Softball battled through an emotional championship Saturday at the 2026 WAC Softball Tournament, splitting a pair of games against top-seeded California Baptist in the championship round before finishing as the tournament runner-up at the Tarleton State Softball Complex.
The Texans opened the day with a 6-4 victory over the Lancers to force a winner-take-all final before California Baptist claimed the tournament championship with an 8-2 win in the decisive game. Tarleton State closed the season with a 38-23 overall record after one of the strongest campaigns in the program's NCAA Division I era.
Tarleton State 6, California Baptist 4
Tarleton State wasted no time responding in the first championship matchup after California Baptist opened the game with two runs in the top of the first inning.
Mariah Debose opened the day with a walk, and Macie Vickers followed with a single. After Jaelynn Duke was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Casey Schultz delivered the biggest swing of the afternoon with a grand slam to put the Texans in front 4-2 in the bottom of the first.
Later in the inning, Braylin Pannill doubled before Addison Wittram drove her in with an RBI single to extend the Tarleton State lead to 5-2 after one inning.
California Baptist answered with a run in the second inning to cut the deficit to 5-3, but the Texans responded again in the third as Pannill launched a solo home run to right field to make it 6-3.
The Lancers added another run in the fifth inning and threatened multiple times late, but Tarleton State's defense and pitching staff held firm. Shelby Schultz entered in relief during the second inning and delivered 5.2 innings to earn the victory, allowing just one run while stranding several California Baptist runners over the final frames.
Pannill finished 2-for-3 with a home run, double and two runs scored, while Casey Schultz drove in four runs with her first-inning grand slam. Debose, Vickers and Wittram each added a hit in the win.
California Baptist 8, Tarleton State 2
In the winner-take-all championship game later Saturday afternoon, California Baptist struck quickly with a two-run home run in the opening inning before adding another run to take an early 3-0 advantage.
The Texans got on the board in the second inning when Pannill connected on another solo home run, trimming the deficit to 3-1.
California Baptist broke the game open in the third inning with five runs on five hits, highlighted by a three-run triple, to extend its lead to 8-1.
Tarleton State added its final run in the fifth inning after Casey Schultz walked and pinch runner Mikaila Gilliland later scored on an RBI single from Madison Runyan. The Texans threatened to extend the inning after Alyssa Budisalovich drew a walk and Runyan advanced into scoring position, but California Baptist escaped the jam to maintain control.
Pannill accounted for one of Tarleton State's two hits in the championship finale with her second home run of the day, while Runyan added the Texans' other hit and RBI.
Despite the loss, Tarleton State capped off a historic season with 38 wins, a berth in the WAC Tournament championship round and the program's deepest postseason run since transitioning to Division I.
