Johnson Secures WinWon Softball Tournament Championship

KINGSPORT, Tenn. - An extra game was needed, but fourth-seeded Johnson got the job done as it won the 2025 WinWon Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Softball Tournament championship.

The five-day event is being held at the Brickyard Ball Fields in Kingsport, Tenn.

WinWon is the title sponsor for the event.

Johnson advanced to the championship game through the winners' bracket and awaited its opponent. No. 7 seed Brenau faced No. 6 seed Tennessee Wesleyan in the losers' bracket finale and came away with a 3-0 victory. Ava Moon drove in all three runs for Brenau as she went 3-for-3 with a double and a two-run home run.

In the first championship game, Brenau jumped out to an early lead with a two-run third inning. After Johnson cut the deficit in half in the fifth, Allie Busbee singled in a run to give Brenau a 3-1 lead. The Royals cut the margin to 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth; however, the Golden Tigers held on for the one-run win to force the 'if necessary' game.

In the second championship game, Johnson wasted little time seizing control, scoring two runs in the first. The Royals built a 6-0 lead through four innings when the Golden Tigers pushed a pair of runs across in the top of the fifth. Yet, Johnson came back with four runs in the bottom of the fifth to win 10-2 and the tournament championship.

Lindy Webber, who collected four wins in the tournament, earned Tournament MVP honors. Joining her on the All-Tournament Team are Madisyn Thacker-Wolfe, Reese Burns, Megan Armstrong, and Autumn Caywood from Johnson; Moon, Emily Hall, and Dayton Power from Brenau; Bailee Phillips and Macy Chastain from Tennessee Wesleyan; and Anslie Pettit and Ansley Hight of Reinhardt.

With the tournament championship, Johnson receives an automatic berth to the NAIA National Championship Tournament, joining Reinhardt which received an automatic berth for winning the regular-season title.

The NAIA Softball Selection Show is set for Wednesday, May 7, at 6 pm ET.

Tournament Schedule
Monday, April 28
Game 1 - No. 8 Columbia International (22-23) def. No. 9 Columbia (19-30), 2-0 (box)
Game 2 - No. 7 Brenau (30-14) def. No. 10 Milligan (18-19), 3-0 (box)
Game 3 - No. 4 Johnson (26-12) def. No. 5 Montreat (32-15), 4-1 (box)
Game 4 - No. 6 Tennessee Wesleyan (24-10) def. No. 3 Truett McConnell (29-14), 7-6 (box)

Tuesday, April 29
Game 5 - No. 5 Montreat (33-15) def. No. 10 Milligan (18-20), 9-5 (box) - Milligan eliminated
Game 6 - No. 9 Columbia (20-30) vs. No. 3 Truett McConnell (29-15), 8-6 (box) - Truett McConnell eliminated
Game 7 - No. 1 Reinhardt (27-8) vs. No. 8 Columbia International (22-24), 8-0 (6 innings) (box)
Game 8 - No. 7 Brenau (31-14) def. No. 2 Bryan (28-13), 8-3 (box)

Wednesday, April 30
Game 9 - No. 8 Columbia International (23-24) def. No. 5 Montreat (33-16), 7-3 (box) - Montreat eliminated
Game 10 - No. 2 Bryan (29-13) def. No. 9 Columbia (20-31), 6-1 (box) - Columbia eliminated
Game 11 - No. 4 Johnson (27-12) def. No. 1 Reinhardt (27-9), 8-3 (box)
Game 12 - No. 7 Brenau (32-14) def. No. 6 Tennessee Wesleyan (24-11), 7-4 (box)

Thursday, May 1
Game 13 - No. 1 Reinhardt (28-9) def. No. 8 Columbia International (23-25), 13-9 (box) - Columbia International eliminated
Game 14 - No. 6 Tennessee Wesleyan (25-11) def. No. 2 Bryan (29-14), 5-1 (box) - Bryan eliminated
Game 15 - No. 4 Johnson (28-12) def. No. 7 Brenau (32-15), 8-0 (6 innings) (box)
Game 16 - No. 6 Tennessee Wesleyan (26-11) def. No. 1 Reinhardt (28-10), 1-0 (box) - Reinhardt eliminated

Friday, May 2
Game 17 - No. 7 Brenau (33-15) def. No. 6 Tennessee Wesleyan (26-11), 3-0 (box) - Tennessee Wesleyan eliminated
Game 18 - Championship Game 1 - No. 7 Brenau (34-15) def. No. 4 Johnson (28-13), 3-2 (box)
Game 19 - Championship Game 2 - No. 4 Johnson (29-13) def. No. 7 Brenau (34-16), 10-2 (5 innings) (box) - Johnson wins the championship