Braves Drop Home Series to Prairie View

LORMAN, Miss. – Yahnya Acevedo had four hits across two games Saturday afternoon as Alcorn dropped both legs of a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Softball doubleheader to Prairie View A&M at Alcorn Softball Complex in Lorman, Mississippi. Prairie View A&M took the opening game 8-3, before returning to grab an 8-0 decision in five innings during the nightcap.
 
The twin-billing victories allowed the Panthers to sweep the series from the Braves.
 
GAME ONE: PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 8, ALCORN 3
Kearstin Tinsley delivered a two-run single in the second inning and Prairie View A&M pulled away with six runs over the fifth and sixth frames Saturday, defeating Alcorn 8-3 in the first game of a SWAC doubleheader at Alcorn Softball Complex in Lorman, Mississippi.
 
Yazmyn Stewart (4-2) earned the complete-game win, allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits over seven innings while striking out two and walking five.
 
Prairie View (13-11, 5-0 SWAC) opened the scoring in the top of the second inning.
 
With runners at second and third, shortstop Kearstin Tinsley lined a single up the middle, scoring catcher Ashlee Elizarraras and designated player Reagan Green to put the Panthers ahead 2-0.
 
Alcorn (9-13, 0-3) answered in the fourth, taking advantage of a pair of errors by Prairie View shortstop Tinsley.
 
Braves right fielder Mariah Morgan reached third on a single and scored on a fielding error, and that set up designated player Sanai Salvant to follow with an RBI single to right to tie the game at 2-2.
 
The visiting Panthers regained the lead for good in the fifth.
 
Mia Nunez drew a walk and stole second before Morgan Smith lofted a run-scoring triple to right center, putting the Panthers back on top 3-2. Two wild pitches by Alcorn starter Alainah Felton plated two more runs before the inning was over, extending the lead to 5-2.
 
PVAMU stretched the lead in the sixth with three additional runs.
 
Nunez tallied a two-run triple to left center that scored Julie Lopez and Isabela Rodriguez to make it 7-2. Dyani McKinley added a sacrifice groundout to plate Nunez and push the lead to 8-2.
 
The Braves got one back in the bottom of the sixth on a sacrifice bunt RBI by shortstop Karmen Bernard, but could not generate further damage against Stewart, who allowed just one earned run across the full seven innings in the circle.
 
Felton took the loss, falling to 1-4 after surrendering all eight Prairie View runs – all earned – on nine hits and five walks across six innings of work. Olivia Miller worked a scoreless seventh in relief for the Braves.
 
Nunez and Smith each contributed triples for Prairie View. Nunez finished with one hit and two RBIs, while Smith went 2-for-3 with a triple and an RBI. Tinsley had two RBIs on the day.
 
For Alcor, it was Yahnya Acevedo going 2-for-4 at the dish with a double to lead the team offensively.
 
GAME TWO: PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 8, ALCORN 0
Mia Nunez hit two inside-the-park home runs and Kayla Adams threw a five-inning shutout as Prairie View A&M completed a doubleheader sweep of Alcorn with an 8-0 five-inning, run-rule victory Saturday afternoon at Alcorn Softball Complex in Lorman, Mississippi.
 
Prairie View A&M (14-11, 6-0 SWAC) left fielder Mia Nunez set the tone from the start.
 
In the first inning, she belted a two-run inside-the-park home run, scoring leadoff hitter and second baseman Kayla Zaid, who had reached on a bunt single and stolen second, to put Prairie View ahead 2-0. Nunez struck again in the third, launching another inside-the-park homer to extend the lead to 3-0.
 
The Panthers put the game out of reach with a five-run fifth inning.
 
Zaid reached on a single, stole second and scored on a dropped fly ball in left field. With two runners on, pinch hitter Kendall McCants ripped a two-run triple to left field, plating Morgan Smith and Nunez to make it 6-0. Martiza Martinez followed with an RBI single down the right field line, and Za'Riya Bell-Morris capped the scoring with a run-scoring single to push the final margin to 8-0.
 
Nunez finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs and three runs scored. Zaid went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs scored. Bell-Morris added two hits and an RBI, and McCants drove in two runs on her pinch-hit triple.
 
PVAMU starting pitcher Kayla Adams (7-4) was dominant from the start in the complete-game effort in the circle, adding four strikeouts. She needed just 63 pitches to complete the game.
 
Alcorn (9-14, 0-4) starting pitcher Chiara Olison took the loss, falling to 6-8 after allowing eight runs (six earned) on nine hits across five innings.
 
Braves centerfielder Yahnya Acevedo went 2-for-2 to pace her side offensively, but the Braves were held scoreless throughout and stranded five baserunners on the afternoon.
 
Alcorn is back in action Tuesday, March 17, when the Braves travel to Nicholls State at 5 p.m.
 
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