HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Alcorn State University softball program once again wowed the crowd of a Division I program Thursday as the squad battled Southern Miss to two close losses in a doubleheader at the Southern Miss Softball Complex.
The Lady Braves (3-9) tallied 14 runs and hit .348 (24-69) as a team between the two contests.
Game 1 Score – USM 7, Alcorn 6
As a starting pitcher, junior
Robin Harrison tossed her second consecutive complete game. She gave up back-to-back hits with none out in the second as USM (11-7) tallied the first run but settled in to escape with no more harm.
Junior
Jessica Crum later walked in the third to put runners on first and second. Senior right fielder
Vanessa Sanders then reached on an error, plating junior
Taylor Hughes for Alcorn's first run. Crum would then score on a throw that hit Sanders in the back on her way to second during a double-play attempt, giving the Lady Braves a 2-1 edge.
The Golden Eagles scratched two in the next half-inning before Alcorn responded with a two-spot of its own in the top of the fourth. Four consecutive two-out singles resulted in the first run, concluded by a chopper through the left side by Hughes. Crum then walked with the bases loaded to bring home the second. The Lady Braves held a 4-3 advantage after three and a half innings.
USM would put up one run in the fourth and two in the fifth to regain the lead at 6-4, but Alcorn would again fight back to tie the game. Sanders hit a deep fly that cleared the fence in left field for a solo homer in the sixth.
Sophomore third baseman
Victoria Tyler would single to center in the seventh when the Lady Braves trailed by one. Down to its last out, Alcorn scored the tying run when senior second baseman
Sametria Collins poked a single that fell in front of the centerfielder. Â
The Golden Eagles commenced the bottom half with an infield single and a double to deep left. After an intentional walk, USM plated the winning run on a bunt that found a hole between Harrison and Hughes. Â Â
Seven different Lady Braves notched at least one hit including Collins who had four and Tyler with three. After not having a four-hit performance last season, Alcorn already has two this season as Hughes achieved the feat in the second game of the doubleheader against Kentucky State.
The Lady Braves were errorless in the field while the Golden Eagles committed five.
Game 2 – USM 10, Alcorn 8
After a scoreless first inning, Alcorn struck first in the second after Crum hit an inside-out double to right center. Tyler then singled to left which scored Crum after she advanced to third on a Sanders groundout.
Unfortunately, USM would put up five in the bottom half on four hits and a Lady Braves error.
Alcorn tallied another run in the fourth as senior
Courtenay Holt's second hit of the season left the park in center field.
The Golden Eagles hit two solo homers of their own in the bottom of the fourth to go ahead 7-2. In the top of the fifth, Crum cleared the bases with a grand slam to left field off of USM ace Jillian Johnson, putting the Lady Braves within a run.
The Golden Eagles would total three runs in the sixth before Alcorn attempted to counter again in the seventh. Singles from Hughes, Sanders and junior catcher
Catherine Gore resulted in two runs as USM held on for a 10-8 victory.
Collins, Crum, Gore, Hughes and Sanders all finished with multiple hits. Crum's four-RBI outing marked her first-ever as a Lady Brave. Alcorn outhit USM 12-11 and batted .353 (12-34) as a team in the contest, including .357 (5-14) with runners in scoring position.
Alcorn will have a quick turnaround at the Ragin' Cajuns Invitational hosted by UL-Lafayette. The Lady Braves face the Ragin' Cajuns first Friday at 4 p.m. at Lamson Park. Â
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