PVAMU Outlasts Alcorn to Grab Doubleheader

LORMAN, Miss. – After dropping the first game 9-0, the Alcorn State University softball program rallied in the seventh inning to send it to extra innings, but Prairie View A&M prevailed 9-7 in 10 innings Saturday at the Alcorn Softball Complex.
 
"It's a little frustrating because you never expect to open up conference play 0-3, but we got beat by a better team and I emphasize the word team," said Alcorn head coach Josef Rankin.
 
Alcorn (2-13, 0-3 SWAC) trailed PVAMU (13-7, 3-0 SWAC) in game two 6-3 in the seventh frame. Back-to-back singles by juniors Brittney Triplett and Simone McKinney put runners on, and senior Victoria Tyler delivered an RBI to score the first run. After a wild pitch scored another, the Lady Braves tied it on an RBI hit to right field by junior Alexsis Ramirez.
 
In the 10th inning, each team started with a runner on second base. A two-RBI double by Gabrielle Fonseca, and a sacrifice fly by Shelby Williams gave the Panthers a 9-6 edge.
 
In the bottom half, a double by freshman Sandra Hord placed runners on second and third with no outs. Alcorn got one back on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Amari Ramsey, but PVAMU got out of it without further damage after a foul out and ground out.
 
McKinney shined at the plate with a 4-for-5 performance with an RBI and two runs scored. Tyler posted a 3-for-4 outing with a run and RBI. Triplett and Hord registered two hits apiece.
 
Tyler's three hits moved her into a tie for 12th all-time in the Alcorn record book with Adrianna Harrington with 108.
 
The Lady Braves out-hit the Panthers 14-12.
 
Senior Paige Taylor got the start and took a no-decision after lasting 5.1 innings. Junior Ambria Dorsey tossed 4.2 innings of relief and allowed just one earned run.
 
Ashley Higgins threw 6.1 frames for a no-decision, and Crystal Castillo fired the final 3.2 to get the win.
 
With the three-run seventh inning, Alcorn has now outscored the opposition 10-2 in the seventh this year.
 
The Lady Braves led 2-0 in the contest. In the third inning, Triplett doubled down the left field line to get it started. McKinney roped a single to left which the left fielder misplayed and the ball rolled all the way to the wall which scored both runners.
 
The Panthers came back with a run in the fifth and five runs in the sixth to go up 6-2. Alcorn chipped away in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Ramsey to trail 6-3.
 
In the first game of the doubleheader, the PVAMU used one big inning – a six-run sixth – to pull away. Alcorn garnered hits from McKinney and sophomore Desirea Lindsey.
 
Dorsey started and lasted 5.1 innings with four strikeouts. Vanessa Castro threw a complete-game for the Panthers and also struck out four.
 
"We have to make it a mission to see them again in May and be better, but that starts with the work we put in next week. We just have to go back to work," Rankin said.
 
The Lady Braves are now 14-11 all-time against the Panthers. It was the first series between the two teams since 2016.
 
Alcorn will remain at home Tuesday when it hosts Southeastern Louisiana in a non-conference match-up at 1 p.m.
 
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