VICKSBURG, Miss. – Scoring 28 runs in two games, the Alcorn State University softball program completed a doubleheader sweep over Kentucky State in a pair of five-inning games 14-1 and 14-4 Thursday at Sports Force Parks.
The Lady Braves (3-4) set the tone early with an 11-run inning in the second inning of game one. It was more of the same in game two with five runs in the first and four in the second.
Junior
Amari Ramsey tallied multi-hit games in both contests. She went a combined 4-for-4 with a walk, four RBIs and two runs scored in the doubleheader. Fellow junior
Desirea Lindsey turned in the first three-hit performance for Alcorn on the year after going 3-for-3 with a walk and three runs scored in game two.
"We did a pretty good job today of getting some runs and took advantage of the opportunities that were out there. It was a pretty good day from an offensive standpoint and we swung it well, even with a mixture of a lot of different players. We're happy to get the wins." Rankin said.
Alcorn improved to 20-3 all-time against KSU.
Game One
Senior pitcher
Ambria Dorsey allowed just one hit and no runs in 3.0 innings to pick up the win. She improved to 2-1 on the year. Dorsey won her 11th career game, which is the 10th-most in Alcorn history.
"Ambria did well. She's from Arizona and is not a cold-weather person so it took her a little bit to get in her zone, but she's done extremely well for us so far this year. It was good to get her three innings and then get her out because it's a long weekend, but she did well," Rankin said.
Dorsey was heavily aided by the offense as Alcorn scored 12 runs in the first two innings. It started with a run in the first on an RBI bunt by senior
Keelee Huff. It plated senior
Simone McKinney who led it off with a single, advanced to second on an error and to third on a sacrifice bunt by Ramsey.
The Lady Braves sent 15 hitters to the plate in a monster 11-run second inning. The big blows were a base-clearing, three-RBI double to left by Ramsey, a two-RBI single to center by senior
Brittney Triplett and an RBI triple to right by freshman
Kelsey Lockridge.
"It was a good inning and we put together some good at-bats. They gave us a couple extra opportunities, but we had some hard-hit balls and did a good job of putting runs on the scoreboard," Rankin said. "Like I told the team before the game, it's just a matter of us getting those reps in and being able to face live pitching. We did a very good job of having good at-bats and battling at the plate."
Alcorn kept the heat on in the third inning with two more runs to increase the advantage to 14-0. It came via a two-RBI triple in the right field corner by junior
Malea Dickerson.
KSU's only run of the contest came in the fifth inning on a two-out single by Rosemary Rodriguez.
The Lady Braves tallied 12 hits in the game. Ramsey, Dickerson, Triplett and McKinney each knocked two hits apiece.
Alcorn saw 13 different student-athletes get an at-bat in the game.
"We have quite a few games over the next few days so we want to manage some innings. We don't want to wear one person out, so if we have an opportunity to get some people off their feet then we'll try to do that," Rankin said.
Freshman
Kiri Parker tossed 2.0 innings of relief and gave up just one run on one hit.
"She's definitely getting better. She's a freshman but we're going to keep throwing her out there and try to get consistency. She's going to be a pretty good talent for us and the more innings she gets in, the more comfortable she'll get," Rankin said.
KSU's Kendall Collier pitched all four frames but was tagged for 14 runs in the loss, including seven earned.
Game Two
KSU took advantage of early miscues by Alcorn to plate two runs in the first inning. After a leadoff walk, and a stolen base, the Thorobreds got on the board after a ball got away on a drop-third strike which allowed the runner from second to score. KSU scored its second after a throw was dropped at first base after a ground ball.
Alcorn punched back with five runs in the bottom half to lead 5-2. The Lady Braves were in business after McKinney walked, Lindsey singled and Ramsey singled to load up the bases with no outs. After a hit by Lockridge plated one run, the second runner scored on an error by the catcher. The Lady Braves kept it going with an RBI single by Dickerson, an RBI grounder by senior
Alexsis Ramirez and a sacrifice fly by sophomore
Brenn Ursin.
The Lady Braves kept on the gas with for more runs in the second inning to catapult ahead 9-2. Alcorn was patient at the plate and scored on a bases loaded walks by Ramsey and Dickerson. The Lady Braves tacked on another on a fielder's choice RBI by Ramirez. Dickerson then stole home after the catcher tried to throw-out a runner at second base.
In the third inning, Lockridge ripped a two-RBI triple to right center to score Lindsey and Ramsey after they had reached on singles. An error at third base brought Lockridge home, and another error made it a 13-2 game.
The Lady Braves added one more in the fourth. It came on a wild pitch with the bases loaded.
Lockridge finished the game 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Dickerson finished with three runs and three RBIs.
Ursin fired a complete-game to pick-up the win. She allowed three earned runs in 5.0 innings and struck out four.
"Brenn did well. We're really trying to focus in on being locked-in from start to finish. She got out of the zone just a little bit there in the fourth inning. I told the entire team that I didn't think we were fully locked-in as we had some lapses in the first inning as well and gave up a couple runs. Though overall, Brenn did well. She had to sit last year and was away from competition for a year, and it's been good for her to get out here and get these reps," Rankin said.
The Lady Braves will remain at Sports Force Parks for two more games Saturday. They'll kick it off with a 1 p.m. game against Jarvis Christian, followed by a 6 p.m. affair with SIU-Edwardsville.
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