Relentless Lady Braves Erupt in 12-4 Victory over AAMU

LORMAN, Miss. – Big home runs by senior Mariah Ortiz and freshman Amari Ramsey fueled a 12-4 come-from-behind win over Alabama A&M in six innings Friday at the Alcorn Softball Complex.
 
Three times Alcorn (9-27, 6-3 SWAC) trailed AAMU (19-13, 9-3 SWAC). They were down 1-0 in the third, 3-1 in the fourth and 4-3 in the fifth.
 
The key moment came in the bottom of the fifth. Alcorn was down a run with two outs and two on when Ortiz launched a high fly ball to center that got over the center fielder's head. After the center fielder fell down, Ortiz raced all the way around for an inside-the-park go-ahead homer to put the Lady Braves on top 6-4.
 
Alcorn took full control in the sixth on a three-run bomb by Ramsey, her fourth of the season. It came after freshman Ashley Arnold singled to right and freshman Teona Bowles beat-out a bunt single as the Lady Braves catapulted to a 9-4 edge.
 
Alcorn wasn't done there in the sixth. After freshman Desirea Lindsey walked and junior Victoria Tyler knocked a hit to left, Ortiz ripped an RBI single to left to increase the lead to 10-4. The final blow came on a hit up the middle by sophomore Ambria Dorsey to end the game 12-4.
 
The Lady Braves scored six runs on seven hits in the huge sixth inning as AAMU only recorded one out in the frame when the match ended.
 
"We took another step forward today. Our team did an awesome job of hanging in there from pitch one to the end of the game. We made some adjustments at the plate after not really having a lot of hard contact early in the game," head coach Josef Rankin said.
 
Junior Winter Ridgeway entered in relief and earned the win after allowing just one run on two hits in 2.2 frames. Senior Robin Harrison got the start and struck out three in 3.1 innings. Lauren Hayden pitched the whole way for the Bulldogs and took the loss after surrendering nine earned runs.
 
Hayden entered the contest with a 10-1 record for AAMU but drops to 10-2.
 
Alcorn's first run of the game came in the third on an RBI hit to center by Lindsey. It plate Arnold who reached on an error and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Bowles.
 
The Lady Braves tacked on two more in the fourth. With runners on first and second, sophomore Alicia Hill laid down a sacrifice bunt down the first base line; the first baseman scooped it up but airmailed the second baseman covering first as both runners came in to score.
 
Three Alcorn student-athletes registered multi-hit games including Ortiz who went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and four RBI's. It marked her second three-hit affair of the year. Tyler and Hill also tallied two hits apiece.
 
AAMU was led by their No. 3 hitter Tiana Sanders who hit a two-run homer in the fourth to put the Bulldogs temporarily ahead 3-1.
 
The Lady Braves have now won six of the last seven games against the Bulldogs dating back to 2016.
 
Alcorn improved to 8-0 this year when it scores at least eight runs in a game. The Lady Braves also did not commit an error defensively.
 
"Tomorrow is a new day and we have to do a great job of focusing on what we do well and just doing it," Rankin said.
 
The Lady Braves have the opportunity to both win the series and sweep AAMU tomorrow when the two teams play a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. at the Alcorn Softball Complex.
 
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