DECATUR, Ala. - Stillman College's historic run of the 2023 season came to an end Saturday morning, falling 4-0 to No. 13 University of Mobile in the Southern States Athletic Conference Softball Championship semifinals at Wilson Morgan Park. The Tigers had the deepest climb of any team in the tournament, having to play twice on Day 1 and Day 2 to reach Saturday's semifinal.

Following a 2-1 win over Faulkner and 8-0 loss to Mobile on Thursday, Stillman swept a pair of elimination games Friday with a 2-1 win over Blue Mountain Christian and an 8-6 walk-off victory against Faulkner to reach the final day.

"I'm going to remember yesterday more than anything. We could have laid down and gone home early, but we didn't and came out and battled. To me that was the biggest day, coming back and winning that one to be able to get here on Saturday," Penfield said. "It was a great tournament and a great effort by the girls. They never laid down, and that was all I asked for."

Lexi McCray (11-8) returned to the circle for the fourth time in three days Saturday, pitching seven innings and allowing four runs, three earned, off six hits and no walks. She hit two batters and struck out four. She closed the tournament with 27.2 innings pitched and three wins. "She was a machine," Penfield said. "She did a tremendous job. She took one off the hand yesterday and came out here today and competed. It was an unbelievable effort."

McCray held the defending SSAC champs and last year's NAIA runner-up scoreless into the fourth inning. The Rams scored on a close play at the plate, in which Anniston Jones collected a bunt and made a diving tag but Mobile's Caitlin McRee was called safe on the RBI by Tempest Hebert. Mobile tacked on another run in the bottom of the fifth with a sacrifice pop up deep in the hole at second base by Ashlyn Stewart. The throw home was not in time, leading to a wild throw to third allowing another run to score on the error. The Rams' fourth run scored in the bottom the sixth, when Mattie Evans doubled in a run off Abby Shelby, who entered to pitch in her final game on graduation day. Shelby was pitching instead of attending graduation in Tuscaloosa as the only May 2023 graduate on this year's team.

Taylor Roland hit 2-for-2 to lead Stillman's offense, while Mackenzie Kirby had a two-out hit in the top of the seventh hoping to provide a spark.

Stillman's season likely comes to a close with a 36-17 record, setting a single-season school program for wins and the deepest conference tournament run in program history.