Southern Outlasts Alcorn 7-6 in Nine Innings

BATON ROUGE, La. – Southern came back from a 6-2 deficit to force extra innings and survive 7-6 over the Alcorn State University softball program Friday at Oak Villa BREC Park in the first of a three-game series.
 
The Lady Braves (3-19, 0-1 SWAC) were clinging to a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the seventh when the Jaguars (8-9, 3-1 SWAC) evened it with a sacrifice fly. The game-winning hit came in the bottom of the ninth by Tiara Scott with no outs which plated Aubrion James from first after an error.
 
"Today was tough. You have to give Southern a lot of credit for competing from start to finish, but it's pretty tough to compete against your opponent and then with the other elements within the game. We really shouldn't have to do that. It's not an excuse, but it's real," said Alcorn head coach Josef Rankin.
 
Alcorn grabbed the lead with four runs in the third inning to leap ahead 4-1. All with two outs, seniors Mariah Ortiz and Taylor Hughes walked and junior Victoria Tyler was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The Lady Braves stayed patient as freshman Malea Dickerson was hit by a pitch and sophomore Ambria Dorsey walked to score the first two runs. Sophomore Alicia Hill followed with a two-RBI double to score Tyler and Dickerson.
 
After the Jags got one back in the bottom of the third, Alcorn answered with two more runs in the fourth to grab a 6-2 advantage. The runs came via RBI singles by Hughes and Tyler.
 
Hughes finished the contest with her ninth multi-hit game of the season. Hill also registered a pair of hits.
 
Junior Winter Ridgeway got the start in the circle but left after 0.1 innings due to injury. Senior Robin Harrison tossed 4.2 innings and struck out five. Sophomore Ambria Dorsey threw 3.0 frames and struck out a pair.
 
"We really have to find a way to fight and push for the entire game. It was unfortunate for Winter to get injured unexpectedly, but Ambria and Robin did well picking things up," Rankin said. "We have to learn how to keep going and not settle – be relentless. Get after it from the first pitch until the last. There are 18 steps in this journey and we just didn't take care of the first opportunity. We have to find a way to dig in and take a step."
 
With a double in the sixth inning, freshman Amari Ramsey extended her hitting-streak to 10 games and her on-base streak to 12.
 
Alcorn and Southern will go back at it Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
 
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