Softball | 4/10/2019 11:33:00 AM

Lady Braves Conclude Home Slate against JSU, Senior Day Friday

Alcorn Game Notes | Live Stats

LORMAN, Miss. – Seniors Paige Taylor and Victoria Tyler will make their final home appearances this week at the Alcorn Softball Complex when the Alcorn State University softball program hosts Jackson State in a three-game series.
 
Alcorn (10-16, 6-3 SWAC) and JSU (9-29, 4-8 SWAC) will square off in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Thursday. The two teams will battle again at 1 p.m. Friday. The Lady Braves will honor Taylor and Tyler at 12:20 p.m. Friday. There will be no games Saturday.
 
"We are very excited about the opportunity we have this weekend to play a conference opponent and recognize two seniors who have made significant investments to our program," said Alcorn head coach Josef Rankin.
 
Tyler is a four-year letterwinner at Alcorn. She ranks 12th all-time in Alcorn history with 111 career hits. She also ranks seventh with 73 RBIs and is approaching the top-10 list in doubles with 17. This year, Tyler leads the team with a .513 on-base percentage with a .291 average and 11 RBIs. She ranks first in the nation in hit-by-pitches per game (0.48).
 
Taylor was the 2018 SWAC Newcomer of the Year winner. She's Alcorn's top pitcher statistically this season with a 3.49 ERA in 82.1 innings. In conference, Taylor has a 4-1 record with a 2.87 ERA. She's a two-time SWAC Pitcher of the Week winner this year.
 
"Victoria and Paige are two awesome young ladies. You have to respect the time and energy they have put into their craft. They are outstanding students who will earn their degrees in a few weeks. That's what it's all about," Rankin said.
 
As a team, the Lady Braves have won six straight SWAC contests. It includes sweeps over Mississippi Valley State and Grambling State. Alcorn recently completed an eight-game winning-streak overall, which was its longest since 1997.
 
Junior Simone McKinney hoists a team-high .365 batting average including a .515 mark in conference. She's currently on a 12-game on-base streak.
 
Freshman Brooke Roach missed the first 15 games due to injury, but has made an immediate impact since her return. She's homered twice and is hitting .320 from the clean-up position.
 
Alcorn has outscored the opposition 16-4 in the seventh inning this year.
 
"As far as Jackson State, we have to execute at a high level in this series. We need to stay hungry and be relentless in our pursuit of the goals we set before the season. Kayla Owens gives them a great opportunity to win. You have to respect what she's doing in the circle. I have no doubt that Coach [Kevin] Montgomery will have them ready to play," Rankin said.
 
Montgomery is Alcorn's former head coach from 2006-12. The Lady Braves won the SWAC Tournament in 2010.
 
JSU opened conference play by taking two of three from Southern, but have since dropped series to Prairie View A&M, Alabama State and Alabama A&M. The Lady Tigers are in the middle of an eight-game road trip.
 
Owens has led the pitching staff with a 6-10 record in 92.1 innings. It's more than double the amount of innings as their next active pitcher. She's recorded 61 strikeouts with a 4.17 ERA. Kaitlyn Elzie has a team-high batting average of .294.
 
"Each game is going to mean more and that's what you want. You want to make sure the games you play in April have high stakes. Embrace it. That's what we've signed up for. Take on the adversity each game will bring and overcome it. We can't really focus on conference streaks or those things, we just have to focus on being ready at 1 tomorrow," Rankin said.
 
Alcorn has won five of the last six games against JSU. The Lady Braves took two out of three on the road last season, and swept the Lady Tigers at home two years ago.
 
#FearTheBrave