VICKSBURG, Miss. –  The Alcorn State University softball program had a roller coaster afternoon at Sports Force Parks with a no-hitter turned deficit turned walkoff victory over UAPB, 3-2.
The Lady Braves (3-9, 1-0 SWAC) only got four hits but did not need a huge offensive outing to come out on top as
Ambria Dorsey contributed a gem of a pitching performance.
Dorsey was unhittable over the first five innings, allowing just a single walk in the opening frame and shutting down the next 13 Lady Lions hitters before Paola Rodriguez ended her quest for history by scorching a single into the right-center gap. Over the complete game effort she gave up three hits, two runs (zero earned) and one walk plus striking out the first batter of the ballgame.
Marsha Hunt, who wound up the hero in the end, drove in both Alcorn RBIs with hard hit line drives with
Brittney Triplett and
Amari Ramsey crossing the plate.
Ramsey had a quiet afternoon by her standards with just a walk on her stat line but did account for the winning run off Hunt's bat in the seventh.
Without the hustle of
Chloey Morgan, Hunt never gets a chance to win the contest. With two outs in the seventh, Morgan sprinted down the first base line on a chopper back to the pitcher and her speed caused starter Sydney Green to bobble the ball ever so slightly, allowing her to reach first. She would score one batter later as the shortstop airmailed a routine grounder into the dugout fence which gave Morgan a chance to come all the way from first to score the tying run.
Desirea Lindsey and
Brittney Triplett were the two other ladies in Purple and Gold to log hits with Triplett's being of the extra base variety with a double.
Teona Bowles came on to pinch run for
Hannah Dukes after she walked and immediately showcased the wheels, swiping second and nearly taking third but was thrown out on a perfect throw by the Pine Bluff catcher.
The opening and final frame were both dramatic but the second through sixth was dominated by the pitchers.
The top of the first saw just a walk by Anne Gerwitz and nothing else for the Lady Lions. The Lady Braves half started with a leadoff double that was rocketed down the left field line by Triplett and subsequently scoring on Hunt's first RBI of the day.
Innings two to six were uneventful with five walks, all by Alcorn, and one hit by Arkansas-Pine Bluff's Rodriguez but nothing more. Things got interesting in the seventh and made for a wild ending sequence.
The top of the seventh started with a single right back up the box by Shanice Akins and then immediate danger soon followed as an error put runners on second and third with nobody down. A lineout and a fantastic defensive play by Triplett at shortstop to gun down the tying run at the plate put Dorsey on the doorstep of victory with two outs.
A storybook ended seemed to unfold for the Lady Lions from there as daughter of the head coach Desiree Bumpers came to the dish and delivered a two-out, two-RBI double to give the Black and Gold the lead, 2-1.
Things were looking bleak for Coach Rankin's squad as two quick outs put the Lady Braves one out away from defeat. Lady luck was wearing Purple and Gold however as two consecutive errors by UAPB helped the Lady Braves tie the game and put the winning run 90 feet from home.
Marsha Hunt took care of the rest and the entire Alcorn team mobbed her in celebration as it clinched a 3-2 conference opening win in walkoff fashion.
The ladies from Lorman improved to 22-11 all-time against the Lady Lions from Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
Alcorn will look to capture lightning in a bottle two days in-a-row, hosting Pine Bluff Saturday in a 12 and 2 p.m. doubleheader in Vicksburg once again.
#FearTheBrave
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