SALEM, Va. -- In a game that was scheduled for 2 p.m. this afternoon, Fairmont State softball was ready to battle the No. 1 seed West Virginia Wesleyan at 9:30 p.m. inside the James I. Moyer Sports Complex on Saturday night. The Fighting Falcons knocked off the Bobcats by a final of 5-1 as Fairmont State will now head to the Mountain East Conference Softball Championship Final on Sunday afternoon.

Caitlyn Kassay was solid in the pitching circle for the second straight game for the Falcons as she threw went seven innings and limited the Bobcat offense to only one in the final frame. Kassay had four strikeouts and great defense to back her up through the contest.

The bats got going for Fairmont State in the third inning as Molly Schweitzer drew a one-out walk to start the rally. Brooke Schmitt advanced Schweitzer to second with a single to left field. Katy Darnell put runners on the corners with a fielder's choice and Hannah Workman singled with two outs to give the Falcons the 1-0 lead.

Kassay, in the bottom of the third, worked around a two-out single by Wesleyan and shut down the Bobcats in the fourth inning.

Fairmont State got on the board once again in the fifth with two runs as Darnell worked a one-out walk. 
Darnell advanced to second base via a sacrifice bunt by Workman. Peyton Wetherholt plated Darnell this time as she singled down the right-field line past WVWC's first baseman as the Falcons led 2-0. Emily Riggs followed with a first-pitch double to the right-center gap as Wetherholt scored all the way from first.

The Maroon and White collected two insurance runs in the seventh as Schmitt led off with a single up the middle. Workman put runners on the corners as Schmit advanced to third. Wetherholt doubled for the third time in two days as Schmitt rounded home on the play. Riggs was intentionally walked in her at-bat and Courtney Moyer singled up the middle to plate the fifth run of the contest for the Falcons.

WVWC scored one run in the seventh inning and had the tying run in the on-deck circle, but Kassay got two consecutive outs to advance Fairmont State to its first MEC Softball Championship Final.

Schmitt, Wetherholt, and Workman led the charge for the Falcons with two hits apiece as Wetherholt chipped in two RBIs as well.

Fairmont State (21-24, 14-18 MEC) will await to play the winner of tomorrow's 12 p.m. between West Virginia Wesleyan and Frostburg State or West Liberty. The Falcons will only need one win to secure the MEC Tournament Title with the final slated for 2 p.m.