TUCSON, Ariz. – The No. 17 Ole Miss softball team exploded for five runs in the fifth inning to rally and defeat No. 23 Grand Canyon, 7-4, and advance to the winner’s bracket in the NCAA Tucson Regional.

Aliyah Binford went 3-for-4 with three RBI, while Ashton Lansdell launched a home run and delivered stellar defense to power the Rebels (38-17, 11-13 SEC) past Grand Canyon (46-7, 21-2 WAC) to victory.

The Rebels earned their first NCAA Tournament win since 2023 and improve to 7-2 all-time in NCAA Regional opening games.

The Rebels were held scoreless though the first four frames as the Lopes mounted a 3-0 lead, looking to extend the nation’s longest-active win streak at 23 games.

However, Lansdell sparked the comeback with a leadoff homer in the fifth.

Following some timely hitting from Angelina DeLeon and Jaden Pone, Lair Beautae delivered an RBI single to make it 3-2.

After a steal by Addison Duke, the Rebels used strong baserunning to pounce on a wild pitch and tie the game at 3-3.

Binford was next to the plate and delivered the go-ahead hit, placing a single through the left side for a 4-3 advantage.

Lexie Brady took over from there, driving in Binford with an RBI double off the right field wall to make it 5-3.

GCU threatened with two on and nobody out in the sixth and cut one from the Rebel lead, but Brianna Lopez limited the damage with an inning-ending strikeout.

Lopez finished the day after going 6.1 innings, allowing just three earned runs and striking out three to secure her fourth consecutive 100-strikeout season.

Nevertheless, Binford got it right back and more with a two-RBI single in the bottom half of the frame. Binford was set up by hits from DeLeon and Taylor Malvin, who each tallied two-hit days.

The Lopes had one last chance with a runner on third and one away in the seventh. Lansdell stepped up to deliver her second, game-changing play, as she made a spectacular diving catch and touched third upon landing for a game-ending double play.

The Rebels will take on host and national No. 13 seed Arizona on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ESPN.

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Saturday’s game between Boston U. and Omaha entered a weather delay in the third inning. It’s the second game of the day in the Norman Regional of the 2025 NCAA softball tournament, and it is set to resume at 7:05 p.m. ET.

At the time of the delay, the two teams sat at a 0-0 tie with one out in the top of the third inning at Love’s Field in Norman. Players then returned to the field for warmups at about 6:45 p.m. ET ahead of a 7:05 p.m. ET restart.

Omaha and Boston University lost their opening matchups in the Norman Regional, leading to the matchup in an elimination game. The Terriers suffered a run-rule loss against host Oklahoma while the Mavericks came up short in a 1-0 thriller against Cal.

Oklahoma and Cal got things started Saturday in Norman Regional action, and the Sooners’ offense broke out in a big way. Kasidi Pickering led the way with six RBI, including a grand slam as part of a six-run sixth inning for OU, as the Sooners pulled off a run-rule victory over the Golden Bears to advance to the Regional Final.

In addition to the grand slam, Pickering also had a solo home run to her name in addition to an RBI hit. Her approach at the plate paid off in a big way and has OU on the verge of another Super Regional berth.

“So she is just an easy watch, you know? Just really sees the ball well,” Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso said after the game. “She’ll identify balls and strikes very easily. You can hear it. But her hands are quick and her body is strong, and it looks, like you said, very simple. It does.

“It looks very easy, but she definitely works on it, hits a lot on her own. I know Gabbie does as well, and it takes that kind of effort and commitment and I think swinging so much, that’s why it looks easy because she does it so much.”

Boston U. and Omaha is the second game of the day at Love’s Field. The winner will advance to take on Cal in another elimination game afterward with a spot in Sunday’s Regional Final against Oklahoma on the line.

CINCINNATI, Ohio – Behind five scoreless innings from Tazwell Butler and five runs batted in by David Bishop, K-State set a school record for most conference wins in a season en route to a 9-5 victory against Cincinnati Saturday afternoon at UC Baseball Stadium.
 
With the win, the Wildcats (31-23) finish the regular season with a winning record for the sixth consecutive year, that includes a 17-13 mark in Big 12 play. The Cats’ 17 conference wins are the most in school history, breaking the previous record held by the 2013 team.
 
“Guys played well in a pressure situation, you always love to see that,” seventh-year head coach Pete Hughes commented. “They set the tone early. They didn’t let the first two games in the series beat them today, and we took the momentum right from the beginning of the game and kept it in large part by great offensive efforts, by Seth Dardar and David Bishop.”
 
Bishop, a native of Marietta, Georgia, achieved his career day with a three-run blast in the second – his fourth homer of the year. The senior first baseman ended the day going 2-for-5 with five RBI and two runs scored.
 
In addition to Bishop, seven other players contributed to the Wildcats’ 12 hits. Dardar posted a three-hit day (3-for-4) to pace the offense, that included his 12^th homer, while Maximus Martin was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. The 1 through 4 spots in the lineup combined to hit .412 (7-for-17) with four RBI.
 
“Tazwell Butler was our MVP today. He settled in with a lead, let people make plays behind him, and got some strikeouts. He was our MVP today,” added Hughes.
 
Butler (1-1) was awarded his first victory at K-State, after firing five scoreless innings in relief of starter Lincoln Sheffield. The Sandy Springs, Georgia product limited the Bearcats (31-23, 16-14 Big 12) to just two hits in his 15^th outing of the season.
 
K-State now turns its efforts towards the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, starting Wednesday, May 21. The single-elimination championship field of 12 will be announced at the conclusion of the conference’s final game on Saturday.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
K-State jumped on the board in the first, as Keegan O’Connor drilled a two-out double off the wall in right field to drive in Martin from second.
 
The Wildcats continued to put pressure on early, exploding for five runs in the second.
 
Dee Kennedy was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, followed by catcher Bear Madliak’s bunt for a single, before the duo each advanced 90-feet on a wild pitch. With runners in scoring position, Bishop doubled into right center to extend the lead, 3-0.
 
A sacrifice bunt moved Bishop to third, until Shintaro Inoue lifted a ball deep into left field, allowing Bishop to score.
 
Maximus Martin singled up the middle and came around the bases in the next at bat, as Dardar hit a towering shot off the basketball arena in right field to hand the Wildcats a 6-0 lead.
 
In the third, AJ Evasco and Dee Kennedy each walked and moved into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt from Madliak. With one out, Bishop belted his fourth homer of the year out to left center, making it a 9-2 ball game.  
 
The Bearcats chipped away at the Cats’ lead, tallying a run in four of the first five innings to pull the score within four, 9-5.  
 
Butler relieved Sheffield in the fifth and inherited a runner on first with no outs. The right-hander retired 11 consecutive batters to preserve the four-run lead.
 
INSIDE THE BOX

• K-State scored nine runs on 12 hits, committed no errors, and left eight runners on base.
• UC scored five runs on 11 hits with one error committed and six men left stranded.
• Eight players contributed a hit with three recording multiple.
• Dardar went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored, followed by Bishop and Martin each with two hits.
• Bishop drove in a career-high five RBI, highlighted by a three-run homer in the second.
• Dardar and Bishop each homered, marking K-State’s 28^th game hitting two or more.
• Sheffield was tagged for five earned runs on nine hits in his four innings.
• Butler fired five scoreless innings in relief, allowing just two hits and striking out five to earn the win (1-1).
• K-State scored all nine runs in the first three innings.
• Schultz (0-2) took the loss, surrendering five earned runs in 1 2/3 innings.
• Niehaus led UC’s offense, going 3-for-4, while Sefcik drove in a team-high two RBI.

 TEAM NOTES

• The Cats’ 17^th Big 12 victory marks the most conference wins in a season in school history.
• With the win, K-State tied the all-time series 3-3, while it was the Cats’ first win in Cincinnati.
• K-State has homered in 39 of 54 games this season, hitting multiple in 28 of those (25-3).
• The win marked the first regular season finale victory since 2017.

By Jayden Mount via Extra Inning Softball, 16h ago

NiJaree Canady Lands Record-Breaking New Partnership NiJaree Canady has officially changed the landscape of college softball. In 2025, she signed the sport’s first-ever $1 million NIL deal , aligning with The Matador Club and launching new branded apparel. The record-setting agreement puts Canady at the top of the NIL charts and signals a major shift in what’s possible for women’s sports. This player spotlight breaks down Canady’s journey, what NIL means for softball, her record deal, the impact she has made at Texas Tech, and why this deal matters. Want access to more exclusive athlete stories and rankings? Become a…

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 2-seeded Florida Atlantic softball team’s season concluded on Saturday at the NCAA Gainesville Regional’s double-elimination tournament, falling to No. 1-seed Florida by a score of 14-6 and No. 4-seed Mercer in a 7-0 defeat.

 

In their final outing of a remarkable year, the Owls (45-12) went toe-to-toe with the Gators (45-14), the No. 3 overall seed in the nation, and held a lead through four innings before surrendering seven runs in the bottom of the fifth. Florida Atlantic out-hit the Bears 7-5 in the later game but left 11 on base to officially end the postseason campaign of the back-to-back American Athletic Conference regular season champions.

 

GAME ONE

Redshirt sophomore outfielder Kylie Hammonds led off the day with a base hit and advanced to third via a bunt and then a single from junior third baseman Jesiana Mora. Mora found herself caught in a rundown on an attempted steal, but the distraction allowed for Hammonds to come home for the first score. On the next pitch, sophomore first baseman Bella Cimino hit a double off the wall to bring home a second run for a 2-0 lead. 

 

The Gators tied it up in the bottom of the first with a two-run home run, but two strikeouts from junior pitcher Jaden Martinez and a diving catch from sophomore shortstop Kiley Channell mitigated the damage.

 

Neither team scored again until the top of the fourth, when Cimino launched her second home run in as many days and her seventh of the year to break the tie and go up 3-2. Florida responded with a five-run bottom half of the inning for a 7-3 lead. Not going down without a fight, junior catcher Chloe Yeatts worked a long at-bat that culminated in a three-run blast to bring the score to 7-6 entering the bottom of the fifth. Florida ultimately ended the game with seven more runs, with a grand slam enacting the run rule.

 

GAME TWO

Hammonds reached base in the leadoff spot once again, this time via a hit-by-pitch. The Owls put batters on base in each of the first six innings but were unable to score a run.

 

Mercer took a 2-0 lead off an error in the single in the bottom of the first and held on the rest of the way.

 

Florida Atlantic had runners in scoring position in the second through sixth innings, including a bases-loaded situation in the top of the fourth before a flyout retired the side.

 

NOTES/NOTABLE

• The Owls conclude the season with the most runs in program history (367), their most wins since 2016 (45) and their first NCAA Regional win since 2016.
• With 54 RBI, Yeatts sets the single-season program record. 
• Hammonds finishes the season reaching base in 26 consecutive games and 53 out of 57 appearances in 2025.
• Cimino is the first Owl batter to homer twice in a single NCAA Regional period.

 

FOLLOW THE OWLS

For the Owls’ complete schedule, click HERE. To follow the team socially, visit @fausoftball, or for the most up-to-date information, go to www.fausports.com.

 

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CARLSBAD, Calif. – Sophomore Alenka Navarro and freshman Nanami Nakashima each tallied under-par rounds to lead the Kansas State women’s golf team during the opening round of the 2025 NCAA Championship on Friday at the par-72, 6,330-yard Omni La Costa Resort & Spa.
 
The Wildcats recorded a first-round total of 1-over par 289 as they are in seventh place in the 30-team field. K-State is one shot back of a tie for third place, while the Cats are two shots ahead of an eighth-place tie between Tennessee and Northwestern.
 
Navarro finished her first round at 2-under par 70 and is tied for 10th place, while Nakashima was one shot back and is tied for 17th.
 
“There were a couple of nervy moments starting out today, but we just hung in there,” head coach Stew Burke said. “We didn’t let it get away from us thanks to a couple of nice birdies toward the end. We are in a fairly good position. I am really proud of the effort today. Now, it’s all about getting some good rest. We were up at 4:45 a.m., having breakfast. We will be able to sleep in a little bit in the morning, make sure we have a good warm up and go again tomorrow.”
 
The Wildcats tied for third in the first round by carding 15 total birdies on a course that is averaging 4.69 strokes over par per player.
 
Navarro parred each of the first nine holes before her first birdie of the day on the par-4 11th. After a bogey on No. 15 to bring her score back to even, the Mexico City product birdied two of her final three holes – including a five-foot birdie putt on the final hole of the day – for her eighth under-par round of the season.
 
The sophomore finished the first round by tying for 11th in the 156-player field with 14 pars, while she is tied for first with only one bogey on the day.
 
Nakashima entered the NCAA Championship with momentum after a final-round total of 67 in the NCAA Lexington Regional. She used that momentum in the opening round as she birdied two of her first four holes. After running into trouble with consecutive bogeys on Nos. 7 and 8, the Kani, Japan, native was able to rebound with a birdie at No. 9 to close out the front at 1-under par. A bogey at No. 13 lowered her to even par before a birdie on No. 16 and pars on the final two holes put her in the clubhouse with her 11th under-par round of the year.
 
Senior Carla Bernat is tied for 27th place after a first-round score of even par. She bogeyed No. 4 but responded with birdies on three of her next four holes to make the turn at 2-under par. She got to 3-under par with a birdie on No. 10, but two bogeys and a double bogey – along with a birdie on No. 17 – made her 2-over par on the back. She finished the first round tied for seventh with five birdies.
 
Senior Sophie Bert went 4-over par 76 as she enters the second round in a tie for 98th place, while junior Noa van Beek is tied for 144th place at 8-over par 80.
 
Vanderbilt holds the 18-hole lead at 6-under par 282, two shots ahead of Oklahoma State. Bailey Davis of Tennessee is atop the individual leaderboard at 5-under par 67.
 
Kansas State starts its second round of the 2025 NCAA Championship with tee times beginning at 12:12 p.m. (PT) off the 10th tee, and the Wildcats will once again be paired with Oklahoma State and Vanderbilt. Live results can be followed on SCOREBOARD powered by Clippd.