JACKSON, Miss. – The bats came out on fire to start the doubleheader for the Alcorn State University softball program as it downed Jackson State 18-5 in five innings, but the Lady Tigers responded with a 6-5 decision in game two for the split Thursday at the JSU Softball Complex.
The Lady Braves (6-23, 3-2 SWAC) plated five runs in the first inning of game one, and pulled away with a big eight-run inning in the second to go up 13-0. Alcorn was on cruise control the rest of the way as senior
Robin Harrison allowed just one earned run in 5.0 innings to grab the win.
Alcorn carried momentum early into the second game and led 4-0 after two innings. Though, JSU (8-21, 2-9 SWAC) scored four runs in the third to tie it, and the two teams were in an intense battle the rest of the way. The Lady Tigers were able to walk it off in the seventh on a two-out single to left field by Kayla Owens which plated Tisha Lane from second.
"We did a great job of getting after it in the first game today. We came out and swung it extremely well," said Alcorn head coach
Josef Rankin. "Game two was just a matter of making plays. I would have liked for us to be much better in some other areas, but tomorrow is a new day and we need to get after it and reach our goal of winning each series."
Freshman
Amari Ramsey went five-for-eight on the day and extended her hitting-streak to 17 games and her on-base streak to 19 games.
The two teams will play for the series in a single-game Friday at noon.
Game One
The Lady Braves wasted little time and sent nine hitters to the plate in the first inning. They loaded the bases and freshman
Malea Dickerson drew first blood with an RBI walk. Sophomore
Alicia Hill followed with a two-RBI single, and two more runs scored on a throwing error by the catcher to make it 5-0.
Alcorn poured it on with eight runs in the second. It came on six hits and two errors. The Lady Braves stole two runs in the inning on a set-play with runners on first and third where the runner at first would break for second, draw a throw and the runner on third broke for home. Alcorn also scored two runs on a two-RBI double down the right field line by
Ashley Arnold.
The Lady Braves tacked on five more in the third inning. After senior
Taylor Hughes walked and junior
Victoria Tyler singled, senior
Mariah Ortiz plated them both with a triple over the left fielder's head. Dickerson followed with an RBI single to right, and Alcorn scored two more on an error and a ground out by Arnold.
All nine of Alcorn's starters tallied at least one hit. Freshman
Desirea Lindsey notched a three-hit outing and also scored two runs. Ramsey knocked two doubles, and Hill and Arnold also posted multi-hit games.
Harrison earned the win after striking out for in 5.0 frames. Ashley Sain lasted just one inning for JSU and took the loss after surrendering eight runs.
The Lady Braves improved to 6-0 this year when scoring at least eight runs in a game.
Game Two
Alcorn got off to another good start with three runs in the first inning. It started with singles by Ramsey and Lindsey, and Tyler cleared the bases with a three-run bomb to left field. It was her third homer of the season and she's up to a team-high 20 RBI's.
The Lady Braves scored another in the second to go up 4-0. Hits by freshman
Bri Smith and Ramsey put two runners on, and they moved into scoring position on a passed ball. Hughes brought home Smith with a groundout to the right side.
JSU tied it 4-4 on four hits and two errors in the third. The big hit was a two-RBI triple by Cheyenne Aplon, and the Lady Tigers played small ball to manufacture a couple more.
Alcorn regained the lead 5-4 in its next at-bat in the fourth. Smith walked, moved to second on a single by Ramsey and came around to score on an error by the first baseman.
Though, JSU evened it again 5-5 in the bottom half on an unearned run.
The Lady Braves only garnered one hit in their final three at-bats. The Lady Tigers scored in the seventh after a one-out single was followed by a sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Owens delivered a liner to left field and JSU won after safely crossing home on a play at the plate.
Owens also picked up the win in the circle after tossing a complete-game. Junior
Paige Taylor got the start for Alcorn and surrendered just two earned runs in 3.0 frames. Junior
Winter Ridgeway entered in relief and was pegged with the loss despite giving up just one earned run in 3.2 innings.
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