A Marathon in Greenville
The Southern Conference championship game stretched into a 13‑inning marathon on Saturday, May 23, in Greenville, South Carolina. After a three‑hour weather delay, Western Carolina and Samford traded blows before the Catamounts fell 5‑1, ending their tournament run.
Western Carolina’s offense ignited in the seventh, where Cam Murray delivered a career‑high four hits, sparking a rally that briefly put the Catamounts ahead. The momentum, however, could not be sustained as Samford’s pitching tightened.
The decisive blow came in the 13th when Jackson Harris launched a home run that sealed a 5‑1 victory for Samford. The homer underscored the intensity of a game that featured 31 combined runners left on base across the tournament.
Despite the loss, the Catamounts finished the season with 36 wins, the most for the program since 2014, and said goodbye to eight seniors whose contributions defined the year.
Samford now prepares to meet The Citadel in the championship final, a matchup that will determine the conference’s automatic berth into the NCAA postseason. The stakes remain high for both teams as they chase a historic run.