Belmont Softball Wins MVC Championship

DES MOINES, Iowa - - Belmont University softball defeated Southern Illinois, 6-2, Saturday from Buel Field to claim the 2025 Missouri Valley Conference Softball Championship.
 
With the victory, the Bruins earn an automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Division I Softball Championship – the first in program history. Belmont, the tournament No. 2 seed, received strong performances throughout the lineup, and got a complete-game victory from MVC Pitcher of the Year and All-America candidate Maya Johnson.
 
Johnson, the NCAA leader in six statistical categories, struck out 12 batters to earn her 24^th victory of the season.
 
Belmont received back-to-back solo home runs from Brenna Blume and Madison Dolecki to take a 2-0 lead in the third inning.
 
Dolecki, celebrating her birthday in style, then added a two-out RBI single to right field in the fourth inning, which scored Maddy Balsiger to extend the Belmont lead to 3-0.
 
Johnson retired the first nine batters she faced before Southern Illinois leadoff hitter Emma Austin reached base in the fourth inning following a third-strike wild pitch.
 
Jackie Lis then hit a two-run home run to right field to get Southern Illinois within one run, 3-2.
 
Johnson got consecutive fly balls to close the fourth inning, before quickly working through the fifth and sixth innings.
 
Belmont provided enormous insurance runs in the top of the seventh, as singles from Dolecki and Rylee Spindler set the stage for the biggest hit of Nicole Hughes' career.

After narrowly missing a home run down the left field line on the previous pitch, Hughes rocketed a pitch deep over the right field fence to extend the Belmont lead to four, 6-2.  
Johnson then retired Southern Illinois 1-2-3 to close the game, appropriately ending on her NCAA-leading 355^th strikeout.  
Eight Bruins reached base.
 
Johnson struck out 35 batters during her three appearances in the MVC Tournament.
 
Johnson, Blume, Hughes, and Grace Gressly were named to the MVC All-Tournament Team.
 
Belmont (40-14) will learn of its NCAA Tournament fate Sunday, May 11 at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN2.
 
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