Third-seeded UNCW won its program’s first Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Softball Championship following a 10-2 win over fourth-seeded Elon Saturday morning at Hunt Softball Park on the campus of Elon University.

UNCW improves to 32-13 after the victory and earns the conference’s automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Tournament. Elon concludes the season 30-22 after reaching the CAA Championship for the second time since 2019. 

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The Seahawks’ duo in the circle was phenomenal throughout the tournament as Emily Winstead and Kara Hammock were selected to the CAA All-Tournament team, with Winstead earning Most Outstanding Performer honors.

Winstead (14-8) tossed 5.0 innings in the Championship game and allowed just four hits without an earned run while striking out five. Hammock entered in relief, throwing a scoreless sixth. For the tournament Winstead posted a 2-0 record and earned a save in 12.2 innings pitched with a 1.11 ERA and 15 strikeouts. Hammock was 1-0 with a save, posting a 0.95 ERA.

Morgan Britt and Janel Gamache joined her teammates on the CAA All-Tournament team after recording multi-hit performances in the Championship game. Britt was 3-for-4 in the final with three extra-base hits, including a home run, and recorded four RBIs and two runs scored. Gamache went 2-for-3 at the plate and scored a run.

The fifth inning proved to be the turning point as Elon left the bases loaded in the top half of the inning before the Seahawks exploded for eight runs in the bottom half. 

In the top half of the inning, Winstead stranded the bases loaded, striking out the side to keep the Seahawks within one run and seize the momentum. In the bottom half, Camryn Dean led off the inning with a solo homer, the second in as many innings for the Seahawks, tying the game at two.

Subsequently, back-to-back singles from Skylar Stockton and Tayler Vitola put runners on first and second before Gamache walked to load the bases with no outs. Mackenzie Amodeo singled to score Stockton before Britt doubled down the left-field line, scoring Gamache and Vitola to make the game 5-2. With runners on second and third, Anna Knox was plunked to load the bases for the second time in the inning. Mary Sobataka blew the game wide open with a grand slam during the ensuing at-bat.

UNCW walked in off in the bottom of the sixth as Gamache led off the inning with a single, and two batters later, Britt roped a double to the left-center gap scoring Amodeo.

The Seahawks got on the board in the bottom of the fourth courtesy of a Britt leadoff home run. The solo shot was Britt’s first career home run as the UNCW, cutting its deficit to 2-1.

It was a Shakey start for the Seahawks as Elon struck first, scoring a pair of runs in the top of the first. Drew Menscer led off the inning by reaching on an error that placed her on second base. During the ensuing at-bat, Megan Grant dropped down a bunt, and another miscue by UNCW allowed Grant to reach, scoring Menscer. Rebecca Murray followed with a sacrifice bunt to advance Grant into scoring position before Carley Davis drove her in with an RBI single.

Davis paced Elon at the plate, going 2-for-3 with an RBI, and was a CAA All-Tournament selection. She was joined on the team by Chloe Hatzapoulos and McKenna McCard from Elon.

UNCW is the first No. 3 seed to win the CAA Softball Championship in the history of the tournament and is the first team to win on the opponent’s home field since 2018.

CAA Softball All-Tournament Team

Emily Winstead, UNCW (Most Outstanding Performer)

Morgan Britt, UNCW

Kara Hammock, UNCW

Janel Gamache, UNCW

Carley Davis, Elon

Chloe Hatzapolous, Elon

McKenna McCard, Elon

Halle Kisamore, Delaware

Emily Winburn, Delaware

Mia Dittoe, Charleston

Noel Dominguez, Charleston