HOUSTON –
Jamyiyah Cotten and
Sanai Salvant each popped hits Friday afternoon for Alcorn as the Braves dropped the first game of a three-game Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Softball series away to Texas Southern by a 7-1 decision at Memorial Park in Houston, Texas.
Texas Southern (15-6, 5-2 SWAC) erupted for four runs in the sixth inning to break open a close game to that point.
Texas Southern starting pitcher Zaria Turner was masterful in the circle, tossing all seven innings while allowing just two hits, one run and three walks. She struck out five and did not surrender an earned run on the afternoon, improving her record to 3-4 on the season.
Alcorn (9-16, 0-5 SWAC) starting hurler
Olivia Miller took the loss, evening her record for the year at 2-2. Miller lasted two innings, allowing four hits and three walks while surrendering two earned runs.
Chiara Olison came on in relief to begin the third and pitched three and two-thirds innings, giving up six hits and five runs.
The visiting Braves drew first blood in the top of the first inning.
Designated player
Sanai Salvant led off with a single to left field and was moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Miller. Salvant then came home on a throwing error by TSU third baseman Dania Durr, giving Alcorn a 1-0 lead.
The homestanding Tigers answered in the bottom of the second.
After centerfielder Lanay Carr walked and was erased on a groundout, first baseman Jade McQueen drew a walk to put a runner on. Kylie Wilson then launched a triple to left field, scoring McQueen and tying the game at 1-1.
Marisa Perla followed with an RBI single to right to plate Wilson and give the Tigers a 2-1 lead they would never relinquish.
The hosts pushed the advantage to 3-1 in the third as Dania Durr opened the inning with a double to right field and was bunted to third by Katelynn Cooper. Karisma Garcia then lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, bringing home Durr with the go-ahead run. An error by the Alcorn infield allowed Carr to reach, but Olison worked out of further trouble to keep the deficit at two.
Both teams went quietly in the fourth and fifth innings, with Turner continuing to stifle Alcorn's lineup while Olison steadied herself after the rocky third. The Braves managed just one baserunner over that two-inning stretch, a walk to
Jamyiyah Cotten in the fifth that ended without a score.
The sixth inning put the game out of reach.
TSU sent eight batters to the plate and scored four runs on five hits in a decisive rally. Designated player Mia Montemayor singled to left-center to start the inning and was replaced by pinch runner Zariah London. McQueen followed with a single to right, sending London to third. McQueen then swiped second, setting the stage for Wilson, who delivered a two-run single to right field to score both London and McQueen and push the lead to 5-1.
Wilson stole second, and Marissa Perla added a bunt single to put two runners in scoring position. Perla swiped second as well before Penelope Saenz lifted a sacrifice fly to right that scored Wilson and made it 6-1. Durr capped the inning with an RBI single to center, plating Perla and completing the four-run outburst.
Wilson paced the TSU offense, going 2-for-4 with a triple, two RBIs and a stolen base. Durr finished 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while Perla went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base.
For the visiting Braves, Salvant added a 1-for-2 afternoon with a run scored and a walk. Cotten reached base three times on a hit and two walks as well.
The teams close the series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning with game one at noon.
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