Game Recap

The Capital Comets captured the 2026 Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Softball Tournament championship with a victory over Heidelberg to secure the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament. As the No. 6 seed Capital takes home its first title since 1997, the third OAC Championship in program history.

The Comets pulled off history by beating the No.4 seed Heidelberg with a 7-2 victory. This win gives them the automatic bid into the NCAA tournament and earns the program it’s fifth NCAA tournament trip in program history. The newly expanded OAC Softball tournament to six teams into the tournament, allowing the Comets to claim the title as the lowest seed in conference history to win the tournament.

How It Happened

The championship game featured strong performances from both teams, with Heidelberg applying pressure early. Heidelberg went up 2-0 in the second inning and was able to hold off Capital until the fourth inning. Where the Comets responded with strong hitting in the fourth hitting in two runs to tie the game.

The Comets relied on clutch offensive production and steady defensive play to maintain momentum, while timely pitching helped limit Heidelberg’s scoring opportunities in critical situations. Capital capitalized in the fifth and sixth inning securing five runs to win the game.

Heidelberg had two in scoring position in the sixth, but with strong pitching from Capital they were unable to hit those runs in. The side was retired in order in the seventh inning.

Top Performers

Capital

• Kyleigh Kirby: Hit a pivotal two-run home run in the fifth inning that gave Capital the lead; finished with multiple RBIs.
• Morgan Priest: Recorded multiple hits and drove in two runs with a key sixth-inning single.
• Megan Parry: Delivered a two-run double in the fourth inning to tie the game and spark the Capital comeback.
• Alyssa Miller: Earned the championship victory in the circle.

Heidelberg

• Team Offense: Scored two runs in the second inning to take an early lead and finished with five hits in the championship game.
• Haley Gockstetter: Started in the circle for Heidelberg and helped keep the Comets off the scoreboard through the first three innings.

Noteworthy

• Capital won the OAC Tournament championship as the No. 6 seed, the lowest seed to capture the title in conference history.
• The Comets claimed their first OAC Tournament crown since 1997 and third overall, joining the program’s championship teams from 1991 and 1997.
• Capital secured the league’s automatic NCAA Division III Tournament berth, marking the program’s fifth NCAA postseason appearance (1991, 1997, 2002, 2013, 2026).
• The championship marked Capital’s first appearance in the OAC Tournament title game since 2017.

All-Tournament Team
Morgan Priest, Capital (Tournament MVP)
Autumn Bridges, Capital
Addi Parker, Capital
Reagan Irons, Capital
Ellie Tressler, Heidelberg 
Leah Arnett, Heidelberg
Haley Gockstetter, Heidelberg
Sydney Mercer, Mount Union
Faith Reicosky, Mount Union
Cara Taylor, Muskingum 
Payton Hochradel, Muskingum
Lexie Vaillant, Baldwin Wallace
Alaina Eldridge, Wilmington