UNCW softball rallies to capture CAA Championship, earns automatic spot in NCAA Tournament

UNCW softball is heading to the NCAA Tournament.

The Seahawks claimed their second CAA Championship title in school history Saturday as they came from behind to defeat top-seeded Campbell 3-1.

UNCW (33-21) finishes with a 4-1 tournament record, besting Campbell in the team's first meeting on Thursday. On Friday, the team went to war with Deleware in an 11-inning battle that saw the Seahawks score five extra-inning runs to win the game.

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After falling to Campbell (37-21-1) 2-1 in the first of Saturday's two championship games, UNCW trailed 1-0 entering the top of the seventh of the winner-takes-all matchup.

The Seahawks scored three seventh inning runs as Lauren Cope grounded short and the throw home sailed high, scoring freshman Ava Tsiouplis and graduate student Mary Sobataka. Madison Biddle crossed home plate moments later to take the 3-1 lead, a deficit Campbell was unable to overcome in the final inning of play.

Junior Kara Hammock earned the win for UNCW, throwing six strikeouts as she pitched all seven innings.

Campbell found paydirt early in the first of Saturday's championship games, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the second. UNCW got on the board as Tayler Vitola stole home in the bottom of the third.

UNCW would put runners on second and third in the bottom of the fifth, but a Campbell double play prevented the Seahawks from scoring, a pivotal play that helped the Fighting Camels close out the 2-1 victory.

The CAA title victory grants UNCW an automatic spot in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, which starts May 16. The Seahawks claimed their first CAA title in 2022, defeating Elon 10-2.

UNCW will learn what spot it will receive in the NCAA Tournament in Sunday's selection show on ESPN2, which is scheduled for 7 p.m ET.

See UNCW softball celebrate CAA Tournament win

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: UNCW softball claims second CAA title, earns spot in NCAA Tournament