EMPORIA, Kan. – Missouri Southern defeated Rogers State in the 2026 MIAA softball championship game to claim the program’s first tournament title since 2001. A walk-off home run by Southern’s Emily Perry sealed the Lions’ 4-1 victory in the bottom of the seventh inning.
 
The top ten teams from the regular season met in Emporia, Kansas, this week for the Association’s postseason softball championship, hosted by Emporia State University May 6-9. Top-seeded Missouri Southern and No. 6 seed Rogers State battled for the tournament title for the first time in championship history.
 
MIAA regular season champion Missouri Southern was the first to score in the championship game, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Rogers State scored its first and only run of the game in the top of the sixth inning as Hillcat catcher Saylor Brown was hit by a pitch with bases loaded. Still tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning with two runners on, Southern’s Emily Perry hit a walk-off home run to left center to end the championship game with a 4-1 Lions victory.
 
The 2026 MIAA Pitcher of the Year, Kiki Pickens, delivered a strong performance in the championship game, pitching 6.1 innings and striking out 10 Hillcats. Pickens was honored as the 2026 MIAA Softball Championship’s Most Outstanding Player for her performance in the postseason tournament.
 
Southern claimed its sixth MIAA tournament title in program history and its first since 2001. The victory also awards the Lions with the Association’s automatic bid into the 2026 NCAA Division II postseason.
 
Twelve players were named to the 2026 MIAA Softball All-Tournament Team, highlighted by five Southern players. The complete list of student-athletes honored is listed below. To view game-by-game results and find more information on the 2026 MIAA Softball Championship hosted by Emporia State University, visit theMIAA.com/softballchampinoship.
 
The NCAA Division II softball committee will announce the full field of teams advancing to the 2026 NCAA postseason during the Division II Selection Show, scheduled for 9 a.m. CT on Monday, May 11. Softball fans can watch the selection show live on NCAA.com.