Belhaven clinch CCS Title with shutout win over Huntingdon

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (Belhaven Athletics) — The Belhaven Softball team secured the Collegiate Conference of the South Championship on Sunday with a 2-0 shutout win over top seed Huntingdon and booked their spot in the 2025 NCAA Division III Softball Tournament. 

The Blazers, who entered Sunday with the winner’s bracket advantage, only had to win once on the day to secure the tournament championship and took care of business in the first game to avoid a winner-take-all final.

Belhaven got the only offense of the game early on in the contest when Ellie Williamson drilled a two-strike pitch out over the left field wall for a two-run homer. Williamson’s home run plated Reagan Bryan who had led off the inning with a base hit. 

From then on, it was the Macy Funderburk show, as the Blazers’ sophomore right-hander shutdown the offense of the 9th-ranked team in the nation. Funderburk limited the Hawks to just four hits and didn’t issue a walk while racking up seven strikeouts in the complete game shutout.

Funderburk also got stellar defense behind her on the day, with the marquee moment of the game coming in the top of the 4th inning. With the Hawks threatening after a one out double, Huntingdon got a base hit to left field that could plate their first run of the game. Madi Millerdelivered a strike though on the hit, firing a laser from left field to the plate to cut down the runner at the dish and end the inning.

The win gives Belhaven their second CCS Tournament Championship in the last three seasons and books the Blazers’ spot in this year’s NCAA Tournament. With the league’s automatic qualification spot, Belhaven will feature in the NCAA Tournament for a 5th straight campaign.

Key Performances

Ellie Williamson: 1-1, HR, BB, 2 RBI
Reagan Bryan: 2-3, R
Macy Funderburk (W, 17-3): 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 7 K

All-Tournament Team

MVP – Macy Funderburk: 3-0, 21.0 IP, 13 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 18 K
Ellie Jones
Ellie Williamson
Maci Baldwin
Anna Caime

Belhaven will await their NCAA Regional destination and opponents on Monday, May 12th during the NCAA Selection Show.