JACKSON, Miss. –  The Alcorn State University softball program averaged ten runs per game and 13 hits a contest in a narrow game one defeat (9-8) before winning the series' rubber match, 11-7.
The Lady Braves (6-15, 4-6 SWAC) set season-bests in hits (16), runs (11), RBIs (11) and doubles (7) in the nightcap.
Kiri Parker continued escalating on her career weekend, launching her third homer of the season while tallying RBIs number six, seven and eight plus going 3-of-3 with two walks and a double in game two.
Amari Ramsey and
Hannah Dukes were hitting doubles like it was their jobs as each player registered three two-baggers, combining for six ribbies and four runs scored as well.
Ramsey moved up the Alcorn career leaderboard in two statistical categories during the doubleheader, moving up to eighth all-time in runs scored (80) and 11th for hits (117).
Ambria Dorsey also went one rung up the all-time wins list for the Purple and Gold into sixth place with 16 victories in a Lady Braves uniform. She picked it up by hurling a complete game of eight strikeouts and just three walks.
Brittney Triplett consistently found holes in the JSU defense, carving up the pitching staff for an absurd .778 batting average (7-for-9) to go along with her first long ball of the campaign and four runs.
Jackson State (14-21, 11-6 SWAC) scattered seven doubles among its 20 hits on the day and averaged eight runs per contest but all it got them was a doubleheader split and a series defeat.
Isabel Guzman spearheaded the offensive attack in the first go-round, totaling seven bases thanks to a home run, a double and a single as well as five RBIs
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Game 1 | L, 9-8
The first game was a wild back-and-forth slugfest, starting out with a run by both sides in the opening frame.
Coach Rankin's squad seemingly broke the game open in its half of the third, putting four up in the third to move in front, 5-1.
Gusman tied the proceedings all by herself for JSU, using a two-run dinger and a two-RBI double in the third and fourth to knot things at five.
Her teammates did the rest by adding four more on top of the two already brought home in the fourth for a six-run inning and a 9-5 upper-hand.
Triplett tried her best to bring the Lady Braves all the way back from its four-run deficit, cracking a three-run blast in the sixth to narrow the gap to one, 9-8.
JSU would put the clamps down in the seventh to pull off the dramatic one-run win and even the series at a victory apiece.
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Game 2 | W, 11-7
Game two was just as much of a roller coaster ride as the first as Alcorn got off to another hot start with a four-run third to go in front before Jackson State stormed right back to tie it up in the bottom half, 4-4.
Yet another huge inning followed for the women from Lorman as three RBI doubles and a sacrifice fly highlighted the Lady Braves' second consecutive four-run outburst and put them ahead for good at 8-4.
Jackson State cut the lead to one with three in the fifth but the Purple and Gold salted the victory away.
Kiri Parker clobbered a solo shot in the sixth while
Marsha Hunt contributed an RBI base knock to go along with
Chloey Morgan driving Ramsey in on a fielder's choice to earn a monumental series win over the first-place Blue Bengals.
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With the split, the Purple and Gold trail the Blue and White all-time at 60-49.
The Lady Braves resume play next Friday and Saturday versus Alabama State inside the Alcorn Softball Complex.
#FearTheBrave
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