UAPB Softball: Lady Lions Season Ends at 2026 SWAC Tournament
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Gulfport, MS–The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Lady Lions entered the 2026 Southwestern Athletic Conference Softball Championship Tournament looking to make noise against the league’s top contenders in Gulfport, Mississippi. After battling through a challenging regular season, UAPB secured the No. 4 seed out of the SWAC West Division and earned a postseason berth in the conference tournament at the Gulfport Sportsplex.
The Lady Lions opened tournament play against East Division champion Florida A&M University in the opening round on Tuesday evening. The matchup presented a difficult test for UAPB against one of the conference’s most consistent programs. The Rattlers would strike first scoring 2 runs in the bottom of the 1st inning as Lady Lions pitcher Danika Bryant struggled to find her rhythm. Traelen Humphrey relieved Bryant with 2 outs in the bottom of the first and would hold a potent FAMU offense to only 2 runs the remainder of the game. The Lady Lions would score their lone run on an RBI single by Ryan Geddis scoring Arianna Gonzalez in the top of the 3rd inning.
The tournament featured a double-elimination format, giving teams an opportunity to rebound after an opening-round loss. The Lady Lions would face Bethune-Cookman in an elimination match-up Wednesday at the Gulfport Sportsplex. UAPB struggled both offensively and defensively, managing only 5 hits and committing 4 errors in a 7-2 loss to the Wildcats. Lady Lion’s shortstop Lyric Perry went 2-3 with a run scored and an RBI in the loss.
The Lady Lions finished the season 15-27 overall and 8-13 in conference play, making back to back appearances at the SWAC Tournament.
