Braves Drop a Pair on Day Two of River City Classic

JACKSON, Miss. – In a pair of non-conference games, Alcorn Softball dropped two on Saturday afternoon as part of the River City Classic hosted by Jackson State at JSU Softball Field in Jackson, Mississippi. The Braves fell to Alabama A&M by a 7-6 decision in the opener, before returning for a 15-5 setback to the host Jackson State Tigers for the nightcap.
 
Alabama A&M 7, Alcorn 6
Despite holding a 4-1 lead in the fourth inning, Alcorn was unable to hang on Saturday afternoon as the Alabama A&M Bulldogs walked off the Braves with a 7-6 win in the opening game of day two action of the River City Classic hosted by Jackson State at JSU Softball Field in Jackson, Mississippi.
 
Alcorn (1-1) scored runs across each of its first four innings to open a 4-1 lead midway through the fourth.
 
Centerfielder Yahnya Acevedo drove across left fielder Sanai Salvant for the game's opening run courtesy a double to the wall in left in the first inning. The Braves lead stretched to 2-0 in the top of the second when Salvant laid down a sacrifice bunt back to the pitcher's circle, allowing catcher Ka'Miya Dillon to come in from third on the play.
 
Alabama A&M (1-1) got on the board in the bottom-half of the second as Josefina Lacalle sored from a Destiny King sacrifice fly in foul territory to right field. That halved the Braves lead, 2-1.
 
Alcorn made it 3-1 in the top-half of the third inning after Acevedo produced her first home run of the season – and the second of her career, with a deep shot clear the wall to straightaway centerfield. Salvant once again delivered in the fourth as she pushed in Dillon with a single past the glove of Kali Austerman at short to advance the Purple and Gold lead at 4-1.
 
The Bulldogs responded with four runs in the bottom of the fourth, taking their first lead of the contest, 5-1.
 
First baseman Lily Calderon would score on a passed ball, and Bailey Webb would do the same just two plays later.
 
Alcorn knotted the game at 5-all in the sixth with the help of an AAMU error allowing Dillon to come all the way around from first. However, the Bulldogs quickly answered in the bottom of the inning with a sacrifice bunt back to the circle off the end of Tori Green's at-bat, bringing in Kailee Gilbert on the play and putting her side up 6-5.
 
The game appeared set for extras in the top of the seventh when freshman Layla Watts registered a two-out, run-scoring double to the wall in left that allowed Paris Thompson to cross and tie the game at 6-6. But in the end, AAMU countered for the walk-off win in the home-half of the frame as a Lacalle sac fly to left was dep enough to bring in Austerman for the 7-6 final.
 
The win went to AAMU starter Dylann Rambally (1-0), while the loss went to Alcorn starter Chiara Olison (1-1).
 
Inside the Box Score
• Both pitchers went the distance for their respective teams, as Alcorn's Chiara Olison accepted the loss to fall to 1-1 on the year.
• Olison tossed 6.2 innings, allowing seven runs on 10 hits, three walks and collecting a strikeout.
• Yahnya Acevedo tallied her second career home run, finishing the game 2-for-4 at the plate.
• Ka'Miya Dillon led all players with a game-high three runs scored.
• Sanai Salvant went 2-for-3 at the dish from the leadoff spot for the Braves, adding two RBIs and a run scored.
• A total of six players collected a hit for the Purple and Gold in the game.
 
Jackson State 15, Alcorn 5 (5 inn.)
Yahnya Acevedo collected her second home run of the day on Saturday afternoon as Alcorn Softball dropped a 15-5 decision in five innings to in-state foe Jackson State in non-conference action at JSU Softball Field as part of the River City Classic in Jackson, Mississippi.
 
Acevedo, a junior centerfielder from Tatum, Texas, delivered her third career home run with a two-run shot to right field that also plated Sanai Salvant on the play, allowing Alcorn (1-2) an early 2-0 lead.
 
The lead would not last long as Jackson State (3-0) would rally for four runs in the home-half of the opening frame.
 
The Tigers would score four more in the second to blow open an 8-2 lead. In the process, it was designated player Summer Tyes posting a two-run homer for the Tigers in the second that eventually made it 8-2.
 
JSU added another crooked number in the third with seven runs, highlighted by a two-run scoring double off the wall from Jace Jackson.
 
Trailing 15-2 in the fourth, Alcorn cut into the deficit with a pair of runs as a bases-loaded walk was drawn by shortstop Karmen Bernard to score freshman Mackenzie Ward. That was followed by Jamyiyah Cotten scoring on an error charged to the Tigers infield to make it 15-4.
 
The final score was produced in the fifth as the Braves tagged a run on the board courtesy another error charged to the JSU infield off the Cotten at-bat, thus allowing Ward to score her second run of the game.
 
The win went to Jackson State starter Madison McDowell (1-0) as she threw 3.0 innings, giving up two runs on just one hit, one walk and striking out two. The loss went to Alcorn starting pitcher Olivia Miller (0-1) as she worked just 1.2 innings in the circle, surrendering eight runs (six earned) on four hits and three walks.
 
Inside the Box Score
• Acevedo hit her second home run of the day (the first in the opener of the day vs. Alabama A&M), and her third of her career.
• Just two Braves tallied a hit in the game – Acevedo and Cotton, respectfully.
• Ward scored a season-high two runs off the bench as a pinch hitter for the Purple and Gold.
• Salvant tallied a stolen base, allowing her to move to a perfect 4-for-4 on the base path for the year.
 
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