Softball Closes with Winningest Season in 12 Years

ALABASTER, AL — Calhoun softball's season came to a close this week in the ACCC Division I Softball Tournament, as the fifth-seeded Warhawks battled through three games in the double-elimination postseason bracket before falling just short of a deeper run.

Despite the ending, the 2025-26 Warhawks cemented themselves as one of the program's most successful teams in recent history, finishing 33-28 overall and recording the program's winningest season in 12 years. No Calhoun softball team since the 2013-14 squad (44-27) had eclipsed 32 wins, until this year's group broke through with 33 victories and a 17-15 mark in ACCC play.

Before the action started on Thursday, the ACCC released the DI softball All-Conference Team, where pitcher Addi Wilson, and second baseman Kenley Holcombe earned Honorable Mention All-Conference Honors. 

Game 1 – Gadsden State 5, Calhoun 3

Opening tournament play on Thursday against fourth-seeded Gadsden State, Calhoun looked poised to avenge an earlier season sweep at the hands of the Cardinals. With ace Addi Wilson in the circle, the Warhawks and Cardinals traded quick innings early before Calhoun broke through in the top of the third.

Addison Wallace opened the inning with a single to left field before advancing to third on a stolen base and sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Kenley Holcombe tripled to right field to score Wallace and put Calhoun on the board. Tabitha Frazier followed with an RBI single to score Holcombe, and Madison Allen added another RBI knock to extend the Warhawk lead to 3-0.

Gadsden answered with a run in the bottom of the third behind a single and triple, but Calhoun's defense continued to hold strong, including a key double play in the fourth inning that worked the Warhawks out of a dangerous jam.

The game remained 3-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh, where Calhoun stood one strike away from victory. With two outs and runners on first and second, a full-count pitch on the high inside corner was ruled ball four instead of strike three, loading the bases for Gadsden State. On the very next pitch, Cardinal freshman Katelyn St. Clair launched a walk-off grand slam 30-feet over the left field fence, stunning the Warhawks and dropping Calhoun into the elimination bracket.

Game 2 – Calhoun 1, Shelton State 0

After the nausea-inducing finish Thursday, Calhoun returned Friday needing a win to keep the season alive and delivered one of its grittiest performances of the year.

Facing third-seeded Shelton State, Addi Wilson returned to the circle and turned in another complete-game gem, throwing all seven innings while allowing just five hits across 116 pitches in a 1-0 shutout victory.

Both teams traded quick innings throughout the afternoon, with offense difficult to come by. The game's lone run came in the top of the fourth inning when Emily Burgreen blasted a solo home run to left field. Calhoun threatened for additional insurance later in the contest, but Wilson's dominant outing proved to be enough to extend the Warhawks' season.

Game 3 – Coastal Alabama South 7, Calhoun 5

Later Friday afternoon, Calhoun returned to the field against sixth-seeded Coastal Alabama South.

The Coyotes struck quickly in the opening inning. After two outs, a walk and two singles loaded the bases before a grand slam gave Coastal an immediate 4-0 advantage. With Addi Wilson having thrown over 250 pitches across a 24-hour span, Kaylee Williams entered in relief to stabilize the game for Calhoun.

After Williams escaped trouble in the second inning, the Warhawks found life in the third when Emily Burgreen launched her second homer of the day over the center field wall to cut the deficit to 4-2. Coastal responded in the fourth with three hits, a walk, and a two-run homer to extend the lead to 6-2.

Calhoun continued to fight. The Warhawks plated a run in the fifth before Emellie Hamilton delivered a scoreless bottom half to keep momentum alive. In the sixth, back-to-back singles helped set up a Kenley Holcombe RBI groundout that narrowed the score to 6-4. Coastal answered with another insurance run in the bottom half before Missey French drove in a run in the seventh to make it 7-5, but the comeback attempt ultimately came up short.

Head coach Denton Bowling praised the effort and commitment shown by his team throughout the season and tournament run. "I couldn't be more proud of this group of girls," Bowling said. "They bought into the process and embraced being the difference makers for this program. They helped set the standard for what we want Calhoun softball to become moving forward. I couldn't have asked for better effort this week or throughout this season from an incredible group."

Calhoun closes the 2025-26 campaign with 33 victories, the program's highest win total since 2013-14, and leaves behind a foundation that signals continued growth for Warhawk softball moving forward.