Pulaski, Tenn.- Blue Mountain Christian closed out its regular season with a split against Tennessee Southern Firehawks, dropping a tightly contested opener before responding with a 12-6 win in game two to secure the No. 4 seed in the upcoming SSAC Softball Championship.
Game one unfolded as a pitcher's duel, with both sides trading early runs. The Toppers struck first in the opening inning as Kelsey Camp was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, bringing in Anna Harrison for a 1-0 lead.
Tennessee Southern answered with a sacrifice fly in the bottom half and edged ahead in the third on another sac fly to make it 2-1.
The Firehawks created separation in the sixth, capitalizing on a pair of runs to extend their lead. Blue Mountain Christian continued to press late, as Harrison delivered an RBI single in the seventh to cut the deficit, but Tennessee Southern held on for the 4-2 decision.
Harrison led the Toppers at the plate with a perfect 3-for-3 performance and an RBI, while Neely Barrier added two hits. In the circle, Madison Montgomery went the distance, allowing just two earned runs across six innings.
The Toppers responded in game two with an explosive start, plating six runs in the first inning. Mikaylah Fuqua opened the scoring with an RBI triple before Aspen Teague followed with a run-scoring single. Camp added a two-run home run, and additional RBIs from Karen Wisher and Barrier pushed the early advantage to 6-0.
Tennessee Southern answered with a six-run third inning to even the score, but Blue Mountain Christian quickly regained control. 
In the fourth, Fuqua delivered another triple, driving in two runs to spark a four-run frame. Teague added an RBI triple of her own, and Camp and Wisher each drove in runs to extend the lead.
The Toppers finished with 17 hits in the game, led by Fuqua's three-hit, three-RBI performance. Teague turned in a four-hit effort with three RBIs, while Camp added three RBIs of her own. Wisher contributed two hits and two RBIs, and Barrier added a pair of hits and an RBI as part of the balanced offensive showing.
In the circle, Neely Cooper worked a complete game to earn the win, allowing five earned runs while striking out three and navigating key moments after the third-inning surge to help hold the lead.
Blue Mountain Christian added one more in the fifth as Teague recorded her third RBI of the game, helping secure the 12-6 victory.
With the split, Blue Mountain Christian enters the SSAC Softball Championship as the No. 4 seed, carrying momentum from a strong offensive performance and a season marked by record-setting success, including a new program mark for wins.
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