GREENVILLE, S.C. – The UWG softball team ended the opening month of the 2026 season on a high note, wrapping up February with a pair of wins on their final day of action at the Paladin Invitational in Greenville, South Carolina.
West Georgia (7-14) defeated tournament host Furman (2-17) by a 6-4 tally to start the day and then knocked off George Mason (5-7) in extra innings by a 6-3 final.
GAME ONE
UWG struck first early on Saturday, cashing in a leadoff walk drawn by Megan Waites via a wild pitch.
In the bottom of the third, Furman evened it up with a single and a double to lead off the inning.
Furman used a sac fly to take a 2-1 lead in the fifth and UWG then returned the favor as Madison McDonald's sac fly scored Zekylah Boyd to knot things once again, this time at 2-2.
It would remain tied 2-2 until the seventh when UWG struck for four. Megain Waites drove in the first run that gave UWG the lead on a fielder's choice and then the next two runs scored on a Furman error. Ella Oswalt doubled to drive in the sixth UWG run.
Furman scored twice in the seventh to account for the final score, but UWG held on to defeat the tournament host.
Delaney Hoyle pitched the first five innings for UWG, surrendering two earned runs while striking out four. Cacie Cutright earned the win, tossing the final two innings and was charged with the two seventh-inning runs.
UWG had six hits to ten by Furman, and the Wolves were led by a 2-for-4 performance from Oswalt.
GAME TWO
West Georgia fell behind in the final game of the weekend as George Mason's leadoff batter homered in the bottom of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead.
Calli Hardison then settled in and didn't allow another hit until the fourth inning. IT was a walk that got Hardison in trouble in that inning as after the walk and a double, a run would score on a sacrifice fly, putting George Mason up 2-0.
Two walks and a sac bunt set up the Wolves in the fifth and Megan Waites provided the big hit to put the Wolves on the board as her single scored Madison Humber and Jadyn Tummins to tie the game up.
Hardison continued to cruise but the Wolves could not get the bats going, and the two teams ended the seventh tied, 2-2.
UWG didn't wait long in extra innings, pushing across four runs in the eighth to eventually end it. Playing the ITB in the eighth, Victoria Hardy's leadoff double drove in Zekylah Boyd and Madison McDonald would later drive in that run with a double of her own. A sacrificy fly from Humber and an RBI fielder's choice by Waites scored the other two runs and gave the Wolves a 6-2 cushion into the bottom of the eighth.
The only run that scored in the eighth for George Mason was on a sac fly as Hardison got all three batters in order, and picked up her second win of the season.
Waites and McDonald each had two-hit games for the Wolves with Waites picking up three RBIs.
NOTABLE NUMBERS
- The game two win for Hardison was her 12th career victory and her 19th career complete game.
- Two freshmen catchers, Issy Overton and Victoria Hardy, recorded their first collegiate hits on Saturday.
UP NEXT
The Wolves make the short trip over to Homewood, Alabama on Wednesday night for a 6 p.m. midweek non-conference battle against Samford.
