BRANDON, Miss. - The Hendrix College softball team won their fourth consecutive elimination game at the Southern Athletic Association Tournament by defeating #25 Birmingham-Southern College 8-3 on Sunday.

With the win, the Warriors (14-25), the sixth seed, advance to the conference finals against top-seeded Berry College. Hendrix would have to beat the Vikings twice to be crowned champions.

Sunday's victory against the Panthers (32-8-1) was the first top 25 win for the Orange & Black since they defeated #19 Washington University in 2011.

The Warriors came out on fire with a five-run first inning. With one out, sophomore second baseman Victoria Hughes doubled and freshman pitcher Autumn Martin also doubled, scoring Hughes. Shelby Anderson and Nikki Sanders drew walks to load the bases, then sophomore Sydney Ozersky singled down the right field line, giving Hendrix a 3-0 lead. Senior right fielder Morgan Fires followed with a triple to make the game 5-0.

Fires drove in Anderson, who led off with a walk, with a single up the middle in the third. BSC scored two runs on four hits and an error in the fourth making it 6-2.

Ozersky and Fires each had RBI-singles in the fifth to regain an 8-2 advantage. The Panthers managed a final run in the seventh, but ultimately left the bases loaded to end the game.

BSC outhit the Warriors 11-9 and drew eight walks, but they left 13 runners on base.

Hendrix Notes
- This will be the first conference tournament finals for the Warriors in program history.
- Fires led Hendrix at the plate with a season-high three hits and four runs batted in.
- Ozersky went 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBI. She is hit .545 in the five games of the tournament.
- Martin also had two hits, including a double. She leads the team with a .588 average and 11 RBI in the tourney.
- Hughes recorded her third double of the tournament.
- Anderson was 0-for-2 but drew two walks and scored twice.
- Freshman Bryanna Carlisle stole a base as a pinch runner. The steal was the program's 67th of the season, tying the school record set in 2001.
- Martin earned her sixth win of the year in the circle

Birmingham-Southern Notes
- Catcher Torrie Garner led the Panthers with three hits, including a double.
- Center fielder Amanda Ballew had two hits, two runs and a steal.
- Right fielder Maddie Ridgway also connected on two hits.
- Taylor Harkins (17-5) took the loss, allowing four hits, five runs, two walks and strikeout in two innings.