ATLANTA, Ga. – The No. 7 Washington University in St. Louis softball team is the 2026 UAA Softball Champions with a 6-0 shutout of Emory in the final game of the regular season. It marks the first time since 2014/2015 that WashU has won back-to-back UAA titles. The Bears earn the UAA's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and will find out on Monday at 11 a.m. CT whom they will face and where. Follow the selection show on NCAA.com.
The Bears had a strong start with a two-run first inning. First-year
Julia Sullo was hit by a pitch to lead off and stole second. Senior
Sydney Schneider drilled a home run over the right field fence, making it a 2-0 game.
Following an Emory pitching change, junior
Kennedy Grippo led off the top of the second inning with a single up the middle. First-year
Emmy May singled to short and first-year
Katie Dolin put down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners.
Sullo hit a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Grippo for the first run of the inning. Schneider reached base on a shortstop fielding error to score May and then stole second. Sophomore
Harper Nix singled to center, advancing to the second on the throw and Schneider scored on the play for a 5-0 lead.
After three scoreless innings, Sullo led off the sixth with a double on the first pitch. She showed off her speed and raced towards third, a throwing error on the attempt to get her out, she easily raced home to put the Bears up 6-0.
With the six-run lead, the Bears sat Emory down in order in the bottom of the seventh to claim the win over the Eagles.
Grippo went 3-for-3 with a run scored, while Schneider went 1-for-3 with three RBIs including her two-run home run, and a pair of runs scored. Sullo finished going 1-for-2 with two runs scored, a double, and an RBI. Nix went 1-for-3 with an RBI while both senior Alexa Hannish and May went 1-for-3 at the plate.
Junior
Maria Brooks earned her 16
th win of the season pitching her second complete game of the series with six hits, one strike out and zero runs given up.
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Elevating scholar-champions requires resources beyond the institutional budget. Through the W Club, generous alumni, parents, and friends provide unrestricted support that is essential to the extraordinary WashU student-athlete experience—and the ongoing growth and development of the department. Annual support for Athletics allows the Bears to consistently rise to national levels of competition and ensures that our student-athletes enjoy exceptional opportunities as they train, compete, and lead. To make a gift to the Annual Fund for Athletics, please visit our secure online giving form or contact the Athletics Advancement Office at athletics@wustl.edu.
