MARION, Ind. - The College of Coastal Georgia softball team saw their 2025 season come to an end in Marion on Tuesday morning as they fell 6-4 to the Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats in the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round. 

The first inning was once again magic for the Mariners to begin the game as they struck for a pair of runs right out of the gate. Brooke Perdue started the game with a leadoff double off the wall and two batters later, Rylee Mills drew a walk to put two runners on with one out. Perdue swiped third and came in to score on an RBI single from Rily Andrews to make the score 1-0. Mackenzie Southerland kept the inning going as she loaded the bases with a single of her own, and Alyssa Haggerty picked up one of the easiest RBI's in the book as she drew a bases loaded walk to score another run for CCGA. Avery Callaway popped out to end the inning, but the Mariners held a 2-0 advantage going into the bottom of the first. 

Not to be outdone, the Wildcats scored one run in the bottom half to chip into the Mariners lead. A single started the inning and after a few stolen bases, Yeater made her way around to score and cut CCGA's lead in half. Starter McKenzie Collins worked her way out of the inning as CCGA took a 2-1 lead into the second. 

After both sides went quiet in the second, Indiana Wesleyan came out on fire in the bottom of the third inning, scoring three runs on five hits in the inning to take a commanding 4-2 lead going into the fourth. 

In the fourth, CCGA was able to weather the storm and responded for two more runs in the top of the inning to retie the game at four a piece. Collins started the offense with a one out double, coming in to score on a single from Emma Jones, who advanced all the way to third on an error. Two batters later, Mills reached on yet another error from the Wildcats which scored Jones and tied the game at four all. 

In the bottom half, Indiana Wesleyan fired back with more offense to regain the lead. With two outs in the inning, a single and a two run home run from Bilger put the Wildcats back out front 6-4 with just three innings to play. 

After going quietly in the fifth, the Mariners were able to load the bases in the top of the sixth. A walk, a fielder's choice, and a single loaded the bases for CCGA with just one out, but a 6-4-3 double play ended the inning for the Wildcats and the Mariners were once again held off the scoreboard.  

In the seventh, the Mariners showed life early as Andrews and Mackenzie Southerland started the inning with back-to-back singles to start the inning, forcing a pitching change from the Wildcats. A sac bunt from Haggerty moved both runners to scoring position, but a strikeout and a groundout ended the game and the Mariners season with a 6-4 loss to the Wildcats. 

Jones finished the game 3-4 from the plate while Andrews finished 2-4. Jones, Andrews, and Haggerty all recorded RBI's in the defeat. Collins went all six innings for the Mariners allowing 10 hits, six runs, five earned, two walks, and one strikeout in her final appearance of her freshman season. 

The Mariners conclude their 2025 campaign with a 35-19 overall record and a 15-9 Sun Conference record.