LORMAN, Miss. – Alcorn Softball welcomes traditional Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Western Division power Prairie View A&M to Alcorn Softball Complex this weekend for a big three-game series in Lorman, Mississippi. The series begins Friday, March 13, at 4 p.m.
 
THE SCHEDULE
Friday, March 13
4 p.m. – vs. Prairie View A&M | Alcorn Softball Complex | Watch | Live Stats
 
Saturday, March 14
1 p.m. – vs. Prairie View A&M | Alcorn Softball Complex | Watch | Live Stats
 
3:30 p.m. – vs. Prairie View A&M | Alcorn Softball Complex | Watch | Live Stats
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Keep up with everything Alcorn Softball this season by following the Braves social media platforms. You can follow @BravesSports on X/Twitter and @AlcornSports on Instagram.
 
STATS & NOTES
▪ Alcorn enters the weekend 9-11 overall, and just 0-1 in the SWAC after a series away to Arkansas-Pine Bluff was postponed in the top of the seventh during the second game due to inclement weather.
▪ Alcorn enters the series hitting a solid .295 as a team, with 125 runs scored on the season.
▪ Yahnya Acevedo leads the team with a .350 batting average, 18 RBI, and a team-best .633 slugging percentage to boot.
▪ From her catcher position on the field, Paris Thompson is hitting .340 with 13 RBI, a .459 on-base percentage, and has been reliable behind the plate with a .980 fielding percentage.
▪ Karmen Bernard is a run-producer hitting .349 with a team-leading 5 sacrifice hits, showing her commitment to moving runners. She has 13 RBI and has been steady defensively up the middle.
▪ A consistent force is Rajayla McBride hitting a team-high .378 with a .425 on-base percentage and five stolen bases in just six attempts. She's been one of the hottest hitters on the roster.
▪ A spark plug off the bench and in the lineup, Sanai Salvant is hitting .333 with a remarkable .517 on-base percentage thanks to 8 walks in just 21 at-bats. She scores runs at an impressive rate with 11 on the season.
▪ Chiara Olison leads the pitching staff with an even 6-6 record and leads in innings pitched (62.0). She also contributes offensively, hitting .361 at the plate – making her one of the most versatile players on the roster.
 
HISTORY
▪ Since 2011, Prairie View A&M has held a commanding 23-7 advantage in the series against Alcorn.
▪ The Panthers have won the last 13 consecutive in the series dating back to 2022.
▪ The last time the Braves claimed a series win from the Panthers was away in Prairie Views, Texas, back in 2016.
▪ In fact, Alcorn won three-straight against PVAMU in that stretch from 2014-16, with the teams missing a year in 2015.
 
QUOTES FROM COACH BILLIE
"Anytime you get to host a series at home, it's special. But when it's against a program like Prairie View, the stakes are even higher. Our girls have been looking forward to this all week. There's an energy around our program right now, and we want to channel that into three competitive ballgames."
 
"Prairie View has earned everything they've built over there. They're well-coached, they play hard, and they don't beat themselves. We have a lot of respect for what they do. With that being said, we also believe in what we're building here at Alcorn. We're not intimidated by the moment."
 
"In [the SWAC], every series matters. You can't afford to let a weekend slip by, especially against one of the top teams in the conference. Our goal is simple: come out and compete for three games and give ourselves a chance to walk away with a series win."
 
"I'm proud of the growth I've seen from this group. They've bought in, they've competed, and they keep getting better. This weekend is a chance for them to show the conference – and themselves, what Alcorn Softball is capable of."
 
SCOUTING PRAIRIE VIEW A&M (11-11, 3-0 SWAC)
Rankings: USA Today/NFCA Coaches – NR | ESPN.com/USA Softball – NR
Head Coach: Vernon Bland (15th season)
2026 Batting Average: .305; Runs Per Game: 4.7; Hits Per Game: 7.7; Slugging Percentage: .389
2026 ERA: 4.67; K/BB Ratio: 0.96; Opp. Batting Avg: .292
 
RECAPPING ALCORN'S LAST GAME (at Louisiana Tech)
Sanai Salvant registered a hit and scored a run for Alcorn as the Braves suffered a 9-1 setback at the hands of Louisiana Tech at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field in Ruston, Louisiana.
 
Louisiana Tech broke the tie first with a pair of runs coming across the board in the home-half of the first inning. Bulldogs centerfielder Elena Heng worked a leadoff walk, stole second and then stole home on a double steal with Cali Bennett to break the deadlock. Bennett later scored herself on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Reagan Marchant to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead after one.
 
Alcorn trimmed the deficit to 2-1 in the fourth inning when designated player Sanai Salvant scored on a Paris Thompson groundout. But the hosts responded with a Reese Torres run off the strength of an Alannah Rogers RBI double to the gap in the bottom of the fourth to restore the two-run cushion, 4-1.
 
Louisiana Tech widened the margin with three runs in the fifth. Bradi Gallaway led off with a double and scored on an Allie Furr single. Furr later crossed the plate on an Aleah Brooks single through the left side, pushing the lead to 6-1.
 
Louisiana Tech added three more in the sixth to put the run-rule into effect. Bulldogs first baseman Marchant doubled to center field, plating Gallaway and Bennett – the latter on an error – for a two-run base knock. Reese Torres then singled home pinch runner Avery Jefferson to cap the scoring.
 
Marchant finished the night 1-for-3 at the dish with three RBIs and a double. Gallaway went 2-for-4 offensively driving in two and recording a stolen base. Torres added two hits of her own and an RBI, while Furr and Brooks each collected a hit and an RBI apiece.
 
Ruby Fidge (2-2) earned the win in the pitcher's circle after throwing three scoreless innings, allowing no hits and walking just one. Laney Johnson struck out three in 1.2 innings of relief, and it was Ryleigh Shull finishing things up in the final inning. The Braves' Chiara Olison took the loss for Alcorn, thus evening her record for the campaign at 6-6. She surrendered eight hits and six runs (five earned) over 4.1 innings tossed. Alainah Felton allowed three runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning in relief for the Purple and Gold.
 
Louisiana Tech finished with 11 hits, respectfully. The Bulldogs also swiped five bases on the evening, with Heng stealing two. Salvant reached base three times for the Braves, drawing two walks and recording the team's lobe hit in the contest.
 
UP NEXT
Alcorn steps out of SWAC play traveling to Nicholls as part of a midweek single game in Thibodaux, Louisiana, on Tuesday, March 17, at 5 p.m.