UAPB Uses Big Innings to Get Past Alcorn

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Alcorn State University softball program just could not get momentum on its side at the 2017 SWAC Championships as it was knocked out by Arkansas-Pine Bluff 11-5 on Thursday at the Barbara Williams Complex.
 
UAPB (19-23, 11-7 SWAC) only scored in two different innings but it came in mass amounts. The Golden Lions scored seven in the second on seven hits and an error, and four more in the fifth on six hits and an error.
 
Alcorn (16-31, 13-5 SWAC), which won the SWAC East Division title outright and posted the best conference record, had its chances at the plate with 10 hits but stranded nine on base.
 
The Lady Braves got off to a quick start in their first at-bat. Senior Sametria Collins, an All-Conference Second-Team selection, led it off with a single. She scored on a home run to center by SWAC Player of the Year Taylor Hughes. The SWAC Newcomer of the Year, junior Jessica Crum, went back-to-back with a homer to left to go up 3-0.
 
UAPB scored two runs early in the second inning and then five more with two outs to leap ahead 7-3.
 
Alcorn got one back in the fourth frame. It loaded up the bases when Crum drew a bases loaded walk to make it 7-4. The Golden Lions were able to get out of the inning though with a two-out strikeout.
 
The Lady Braves again loaded the bases in the sixth but weren't able to scratch a run across after a pair of lineouts.
 
Collins led Alcorn with a three-for-four day at the plate with two runs scored. Senior Courtenay Holt and sophomore Victoria Tyler each posted a two-hit game. Crum hit her 10th homer of the season and recorded three walks in four plate appearances.
 
Alcorn used three pitchers. Freshman Ambria Dorsey got the start and tossed the first 1.2 frames. Junior Madi Creed tossed the next 2.2 innings, and All-Conference Second-Team honoree Robin Harrison fired a scoreless 2.2 innings.
 
With Hughes' home run, she extended her on-base streak to 22 games. She led the team with 18 multi-hit games on the year with a .404 batting average.
 
Quoting Alcorn head coach Josef Rankin
Opening Statement
"We talked about starting fast today, and we did, but we hadn't given up this many runs all year. Arkansas-Pine Bluff put the ball in play and got quite a few hits out of it. Of course this wasn't the outcome that we wanted, but hopefully the program can get over the hump of ending the season in disappointment."
 
On stranding runners on base
"I guess you can say that sometimes the game is unfair. They had a big inning where they just had some bloopers drop in there, and we had some innings where we hit hard line-drives straight at people. Their center fielder made a great play on one of them, but that's just the way the game goes sometimes. I give credit to Pine Bluff though for coming out and responding after we got three runs in the first inning. For our program now it's just a matter of going back to work and getting better."
 
On how hard it was for the season to come to an end today
"It was tough considering the amount of time and effort we put into it. We had a lot of seniors and for years they put a lot of time into softball. So for that to come to an end for them is tough, but that's just a part of it. Still, we're getting better at what we are doing. We just have to get more players in here that will take us a little higher. We had a great regular season, but now as a program we have to continue to push to get our season to go a little bit longer. The future and where we're headed is in a good place."
 
#FearTheBrave