Salem, Va. – The University of Charleston softball team advanced to the championship final of the 2026 Mountain East Conference Tournament after defeating Fairmont State 9-4 on Friday afternoon at Moyer Sports Complex. Charleston answered a fourth inning rally from the Falcons with five unanswered runs to secure its third straight tournament victory.
The Basics:
Location: Moyer Sports Complex | Salem, Va.
Score: Charleston 9, Fairmont State 4
Records: Charleston (45-14, 22-6 MEC) | Fairmont State (37-12, 20-8 MEC)
How It Happened:
Charleston struck first in the opening inning after Ella Zucchero singled and Bianca Polistina followed with an RBI double to left field, giving the Golden Eagles a 1-0 lead.
Addison Mass worked through traffic in the second and third innings, stranding multiple Fairmont State runners to preserve the lead. Charleston then added to its advantage in the bottom of the third. Zucchero drew a leadoff walk before Taylor Hodson also reached with a walk. Kayla Moran loaded the bases with a single before Danielle Pici earned an RBI walk to make it 2-0. Emma Smith then reached on a fielder's choice that brought in another run, while a Fairmont State error allowed Moran to score as Charleston extended the lead to 4-0.
Fairmont State answered in the top of the fourth inning, putting together four runs to even the game at 4-4. The Falcons used a bases loaded walk, a two-run single, and another RBI single to erase Charleston's advantage.
The Golden Eagles immediately responded in the bottom half. Aubriana Espinoza drew a walk before Polistina singled to left field later in the inning. Hodson then delivered an RBI single to center to put Charleston back in front 5-4. Moran followed with a two-run double to right field, scoring Hodson and Polistina to push the lead to 7-4.
Mass settled back in after the fourth inning, holding Fairmont State scoreless across the final three innings while working out of multiple baserunner situations. Charleston added insurance in the sixth inning after Zucchero singled down the left field line and later scored on an RBI double from Hodson. Moran followed once again with an RBI single to right field, extending the lead to 9-4.
Charleston closed out the victory in the seventh inning as Mass induced a game-ending double play to send the Golden Eagles into the MEC Championship Final.
Up Next:
Charleston advances to the MEC Tournament Championship Final where the Golden Eagles will face Glenville State on Saturday, May 9 at 12:00 p.m. at Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Virginia.
