Orangeburg, S.C. - Eight games highlighted day one of the 2025 softball championship, as the CIAA welcomed the top eight teams to the newest championship site in Orangeburg, South Carolina.  

The day began with Bowie State and Shaw going head-to-head on one field, while Winston-Salem and Lincoln (PA) battled on the other. The top-seeded Bulldogs took care of business with an 11-3 victory over the Lions. The Lions were the lower seed heading into the tournament but didn’t let the seeding intimidate them, as they’d go on to upset Winston-Salem State in a tight 3-2 battle.  

The second pair of opening round games saw the Southern Division champs and championship host school, Claflin take on Elizabeth City State, while Virginia State and Fayetteville State went head-to-head. The Panthers took down the Vikings with a 7-1 final score, while FSU and VSU had arguably the game of the day, coming down to the very last out. In the end, the Trojans pulled out the nail-biter, 8-7.  

The first games of loser’s bracket saw Shaw and Winston-Salem State face off, while Elizabeth City State and Fayetteville State battled each other as well. The Rams posted an impressive 10 runs en route to a 10-4 victory, while the Broncos had a similar fate with a 9-4 victory over the Vikings.  

Concluding the evening were the winners from the earlier pairing of competitions, as both one seeds, Bowie State and Claflin, faced off with Lincoln (PA) and Virginia State, respectively. The Bulldogs picked up right where they left off, as they claimed an 11-3 victory for the second time today. The Panthers followed suit with an 11-3 victory over Virginia State. 

Day two of the championship will see five more matchups, concluding with the championship semifinal to determine who will be facing off in the conference championship.  

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