Lady Braves Fall to Mississippi State in Non-Conference Action

LORMAN, Miss. – Mississippi State used one big inning to get past the Alcorn State University softball program 6-0 on Tuesday at the Alcorn Softball Complex in a non-conference match-up.
 
The Lady Braves (15-25, 12-3 SWAC) were down just 1-0 heading into the fourth inning when the Bulldogs (32-14, 6-9 SEC) scored five runs. It came on six hits and an error.
 
Alcorn was led by junior Jessica Crum at the plate who went two-for-three with a double. It was her 11th multi-hit game of the season.
 
With a walk in the seventh frame, junior Taylor Hughes extend her on-base streak to 15 games.
 
Juniors Robin Harrison and Madi Creed each tossed three innings for the Lady Braves in the circle. Freshman Ambria Dorsey threw a no-hit frame in the seventh with a strikeout.
 
The Bulldogs were led by Amanda Ivy at the plate who went two-for-two with a pair of RBI. Regan Green threw 6.2 innings and struck out 10 to get the win.
 
Alcorn's best chance came in the bottom of the seventh when it loaded up the bases with two outs, but Green was able to garner a swinging strikeout to end the game. The Lady Braves put runners on after Hughes walked, Crum singled to right and senior Montana Holyfield walked.
 
The Lady Braves will conclude conference play this weekend when it hosts Mississippi Valley State in a three-game series. Game one is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Friday. Alcorn has already clinched the SWAC East Division crown.
 
Quoting Alcorn head coach Josef Rankin
Opening Statement
"Today was just okay from our perspective. We did a good job of battling in the first few innings, but then there was a play that should have been made and it got away from us. The lesson is that you can't give good teams more outs and extra opportunities. Once Mississippi State got rolling it was hard to stop. They weren't necessarily hitting balls hard, but it just happens that way when they have more chances and we're playing a good team. Mississippi State did a good job of cashing in."
 
On Alcorn's seventh inning
"We had the opportunity to score but we just couldn't get the timely hit. We have to keep putting ourselves in positions like that and hopefully capitalize on them."
 
On Robin Harrison
"She did well competing. We wanted to get her through the lineup twice but we knew a good team like this was going to be able to make adjustments. The plan was to make a change as soon as they started to adjust, and we did that with Madi Creed who was able to get us out of it. Ambria did a great job of closing it out in that last inning."
 
On the crowd
"It was good and the support was great. We're just still going through a learning curve knowing that we can compete, and being able to do it for seven innings. If we can get to that point where we're competing every single pitch then we'll be fine."
 
#FearTheBrave