FAMU softball to face Southern in do-or-die SWAC Tournament title game

TL;DR

Florida A&M softball lost 8-0 to Southern in the SWAC Tournament, failing to secure their first championship. The Rattlers will face Southern again in a decisive title game.

Key points

FAMU softball lost 8-0 to Southern
The game ended in only five innings
FAMU had five errors and was outhit 12-1
They will face Southern again for the championship

Florida A&M RattlersSouthern JaguarsSWAC Tournament

It’s now for all the marbles.

Florida A&M softball couldn’t secure its first-ever Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship on Friday, May 8. The Rattlers (31-20) lost 8-0 in only five innings to the Southern Jaguars (37-14) at Gulfport Sportsplex on Saturday.

FAMU was outhit 12-1 and had five errors in the drubbing.

Florida A&M Rattlers infielder Aniya Canty defends during the 2026 Panther Invitational at Florida International University in Miami, Florida.

Therefore, FAMU and Southern will meet again on Saturday, May 9, for a winner-takes-all SWAC Tournament Championship game at noon.

If the Rattlers had won on Friday, they would have been SWAC champions.

But since the SWAC Softball Tournament is double-elimination, someone must lose twice for a champion to be determined.

FAMU gave Southern its loss on May 6, winning 5-4 in 11 innings. The Jaguars returned the favor on Friday, asserting dominance through multiple rain delays.

Saturday’s winner will represent the SWAC as an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Tournament.

The Rattlers last won a league title and moved to the NCAA Tournament in 2017, when they were members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.