MARSHALL, Texas – Fifth-ranked and third-seeded Birmingham-Southern won its first NCAA DIII Softball Regional opening round game in program history Friday, 5-4, over University of Redlands, when Kailey Walters (Trussville, Ala./Hewitt-Trussville HS) delivered a walk-off RBI single.

Walters, who hit 3-for-3 on the day, drove the ball down the left field line for what would have been a bases-clearing, three-run double, but all BSC needed to break a 4-4 tie was one run, Morgan McGuire (Notasulga, Ala./Reeltown HS). The Panthers' bottom of the seventh rally produced three runs off three hits and three walks to erase a four-run top half of the inning by Redlands. BSC shut out the Bulldogs, 2-0, through the first six innings.

Annie Clayton (Eufaula, Ala./Eufaula HS) tied the game when she drew a bases-loaded, two-out walk to plate Alyssa Fowler (Moody, Ala./Moody HS) for her second RBI of the day. Clayton finished 2-for-3, including a solo home run in the second inning that gave BSC a 1-0 lead.

Leah Wood (Albertville, Ala./Albertville HS) led off the seventh with a single to short and scored the first run of the inning on a single up the middle by McGuire, who hit 2-for-4 in the game. McGuire also delivered a RBI single in the fifth to score Fowler, who reached on a double.

Hailee Bryan (Lauren Hill, Fla./Paxton HS) earned the win with one inning of relief work. She allowed two runs off a hit and two walks after taking over for Lauren Keplinger (Pinson, Ala./Wallace State CC) in the seventh. Keplinger pitched a shutout through six innings but walked two runners to start the seventh. She finished the day with six innings pitched, allowing two runs, three walks and four hits.

Friday's result was opposite of the last times these two programs met in the first round at an NCAA Regional. Redlands defeated BSC, 6-4, to open the 2012 NCAA Regional in Tyler, Texas, but BSC won the elimination game the next day, 1-0. With Friday's win, Birmingham-Southern is now 5-6 in NCAA postseason play. 

BSC will return to action Saturday, May 22 at 1:30 p.m. against two-seed Salisbury. The winner will play again at 6:30 p.m. against the winner of East Texas Baptist (31-5) and Redlands (13-6). The loser of the 1:30 p.m. game will play at 4 p.m. against sixth-seeded Eastern Nazarene (24-6). The original six-team regional is now a five-team regional after Ohio Northern withdrew due to COVID-19 protocols prior to arrival.