No. 5 Softball wins first SEC Tournament Championship

Saturday, May 9

Lexington, Ky.

4 p.m. CT

University of Texas

42-10

#3 Alabama (2nd seed)

49-7

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Texas	0	2	0	3	0	2	0	7	13	1
Alabama	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	1

No. 5 Softball wins first SEC Tournament Championship

05.09.2026 | Softball

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The Longhorns won the program’s fifth overall conference tournament title and first since 2005.

By: Grace Tafolla

LEXINGTON, Ky. – No. 5 Texas Softball won the program's first SEC Tournament Championship with a 7-1 win over No. 3 Alabama Saturday evening at John Cropp Stadium. It's the program's first conference tournament crown since 2005 and fifth conference tournament title overall.

The Longhorns have won five conference tournament championships (1999, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2026) in seven of their championship game appearances (1999, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2023, 2024 and 2026). Texas earns its first conference tournament title under head coach Mike White. Under White, Texas has played in a conference tournament championship in three of the last four seasons. The Big 12 Conference did not host a conference tournament from 2011-2016.

Texas improves to 42-10 overall and 20-10 against RPI Quad 1 teams. The Longhorns' 20 wins vs. Quad 1 teams are the most of any team in the country. Texas is on a four-game win streak with three victories against top-13 teams.

Junior RHP Teagan Kavan, senior second baseman Leighann Goode, junior shortstop Viviana Martinez and freshman third baseman Jaycie Nichols were selected to the SEC All-Tournament Team with Kavan earning the tournament's Most Valuable Player honor.

Kavan (22-4) simmered a hot Alabama offense in the win. The West Des Moines, Iowa, native struck out 12 across 7.0 innings of work and curbed the Crimson Tide to just one run on three hits. Kavan's 12 strikeouts were the most by a pitcher in an SEC Tournament championship game since former Alabama pitcher Montana Fouts had 12 in 2021. Kavan worked Texas out of a bases-loaded jam with one out in the fourth inning, delivering back-to-back strikeouts to silence Alabama's momentum. Kavan has eight double-digit strikeout performances this season.

Texas combined for 13 hits against a strong Alabama pitching staff. Junior first baseman Katie Stewart, the 2026 SEC Player of the Year, ignited the Texas offense with her 3-for-5 day that included a team-high two RBI and a solo home run – her team-leading 25th home run of the season. Goode went 2-for-3 and also reached via HBP. Senior right fielder Ashton Maloney had a 2-for-3 day with a pair of singles and also scored a run for UT. Senior catcher Reese Atwood had a base hit and drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. Junior center fielder Kayden Henry had a single up the middle and knocked in a run on a bases-loaded fielder's choice to shortstop. Junior pinch hitter Victoria Hunter had a bases-loaded RBI single to plate Texas' first run of the game in the second inning. Jaycie Nichols and freshman left fielder Alisa Sneed each peppered a base hit.

Texas scored seven unanswered runs after Alabama took a 1-0 lead on a two-out solo home run in the bottom of the first.

With one out and the bases loaded in the top of the second, Hunter smacked a pinch-hit RBI single to the second baseman which allowed pinch runner Taylor Anderson to score and even the game at 1-1. Henry drove in a second run for the Horns, scoring Sneed from third on a fielder's choice to short and positioning Texas with the 2-1 lead.

In the top of the fourth with two outs, Stewart's single to left field plated Maloney from second for a 3-1 lead. An Alabama fielding error in the outfield allowed another two runs to come through for a 5-1 lead.

Stewart's home run and a sacrifice fly from Atwood in the sixth provided more insurance in a 7-1 lead.

Up Next

The 2026 NCAA Softball Tournament selection show is set for 6 p.m. CT Sunday, May 10, on ESPN2. Texas automatically qualifies for the NCAA Tournament after winning the SEC Tournament.