Softball Travels to Southern University

BATON ROUGE, La. – Alcorn Softball looks to break into the wins column in Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play this weekend when the Braves travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, taking on Southern University in a three-game league series at Lady Jaguar Field. The series begins on Friday, March 27, at 5 p.m.
 
THE SCHEDULE
Friday, March 27
5 p.m. – at Southern (La.) | Lady Jaguar Field | Baton Rouge, La. | Watch ($)
 
Saturday, March 28
Noon – at Southern (La.) | Lady Jaguar Field | Baton Rouge, La. | Watch ($)
 
2:30 p.m. – at Southern (La.) | Lady Jaguar Field | Baton Rouge, La. | Watch ($)
 
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 looks for its first SWAC win(s) of the season this weekend, holding a 0-7 mark in league play, as well as an 11-18 overall record on the season.
▪ Yahnya Acevedo leads the Purple and Gold in batting average with a .341 clip, also having accumulated seven doubles and three home runs – both lading the team in those categories as well.
▪ Paris Thompson, Mariah Morgan and Alainah Felton have each tallied two home runs for the Purple and Gold.
▪ As a unit, the Braves have stolen 38 bases in 42 attempts on the campaign. The Braves are sixth in the league in fielding percentage (.945).
▪ Sanai Salvant has drawn the most walks (13), followed by Thompson (12).
▪ Ka'Miya Dillon continues to be one of the toughest players to strike out in the nation, having amassed just three (3) in 60 at-bats. Behind her is Acevedo with just six (6) in 82 official at-bats.
▪ Felton, a transfer from Southern (La.), leads the Braves with a team-low 5.49 ERA, while teammate Chiara Olison owns a team-high seven wins in the pitcher's circle.
▪ While Acevedo has 10 multi-hit games, Thompson and Olivis Miller are tied for second on the squad with five.
 
HISTORY
▪ Dating back to 1997, Southern (La.) holds a 24-17 edge in the all-time meetings between the two sides.
▪ The Jaguars have won the last three consecutive outings, as well as five of the last six across the 2025 meetings home and away.
▪ Alcorn took a 3-2 decision from the Jaguars in the series finale in Lorman on March 17, 2025.
▪ In fact, the Braves have dropped seven of the last 10 meetings, respectfully.
▪ The last series win in Baton Rouge for the Braves occurred in 2018, with the Purple and Gold taking two-of-three at Oak Villa BREC Park.
 
QUOTES FROM COACH BILLIE
"This is a huge series for us. Every SWAC series matters, but playing on the road adds another layer of challenge, and I think our team is ready to embrace that. Southern is always a tough environment to play in, and we know that going in. But our girls have been working hard, and I'm excited to see how we respond when the moment is big."
 
"Southern is a quality program under Coach [Williams], and they're going to compete hard on their home field. We have to be locked in from the first pitch – no shortcuts, no letdowns."
 
"We talk all the time about controlling what we can control. Our preparation, our effort, our focus. Those things travel with us to Baton Rouge, and that's what's going to make the difference."
 
"Sweeping that doubleheader midweek was really important for us mentally. It reminded the team what they're capable of when they play Alcorn softball. I told our team after that doubleheader, this is what preparation looks like. Now let's take that same energy and focus into Southern this weekend."
 
SCOUTING SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY (19-11, 5-4 SWAC)
Rankings: USA Today/NFCA Coaches – NR | ESPN.com/USA Softball – NR
Head Coach: Brittney Williams (5th season)
2026 Batting Average: .288; Runs Per Game: 8.2; Hits Per Game: 11.0; Slugging Percentage: .459
2026 ERA: 4.16; K/BB Ratio: 1.33; Opp. Batting Avg: .306
 
NOTING THE JAGUARS
▪ Southern (La.) swept Xavier in a doubleheader in midweek play with winning scores of 2-1 and 6-2, respectively.
▪ Ava Wallace paced the offense with four hits, including a triple, and two RBIs. Abigail Mitchell added three hits, highlighted by a home run, and drove in two runs. Asia George and Izabell Astran each contributed two hits and an RBI.
▪ In the circle, Aaliyah Zabala delivered a dominant weekend, starting the first two games and appearing in the finale. She logged 14.0 innings with 15 strikeouts, allowing just three runs while holding opponents to a .263 batting average.
▪ Laila Clark was named the SWAC Newcomer of the week after her performance against Gram bling. Clark powered the Lady Jaguars at the plate, hitting .556 with six RBIs, a home run and the game-winning hit in the series finale to complete a three-game sweep of Grambling.
▪ Laila Clark led the charge at the plate against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, batting .600 with two doubles, while Asia George went 6-for-13 with a double, triple, four RBIs, and four stolen bases. As a team, Southern hit .315 across the series, tallying five doubles, three triples, and 10 stolen bases.
 
RECAPPING ALCORN'S LAST GAME (vs. Mississippi Valley State)
Mariah Morgan blasted a two-run home run – her first of the campaign – in the first inning and Chiara Olison pitched a complete-game gem as Alcorn Softball defeated Mississippi Valley State 5-1 Tuesday afternoon to complete a doubleheader sweep at Alcorn Softball Complex in Lorman, Mississippi.
 
Morgan, who went 2-for-3 in the contest, did the bulk of her damage early. After left fielder Yahnya Acevedo scored on a throwing error by Delta Devilettes' catcher Kelsey Kaluna-Thomas following a double steal, Morgan stepped to the plate and launched a two-run shot to center field, giving the Braves a 3-0 lead after one inning in the books. She also tripled to right center in the third inning and finished with two RBIs – allowing her two (2) triples across both games on the day.
 
Olison (7-10) was nearly untouchable in the circle, throwing all seven innings while allowing just six hits and striking out a pair. The lone run she surrendered in the sixth was unearned, the result of an error charged to the Alcorn infield. Olison threw just 67 pitches and did not issue a single free pass.
 
Alcorn tacked on an insurance run in the home-half of the second when centerfielder Rajayla McBride doubled and eventually scored on a throwing error, as the Braves eventually added a fifth run in the sixth on a walk by pinch hitter Adriyana Ruffin that plated Cotten, who had singled to open the frame.
 
Cotten, Ruffin, McBride, Acevedo and Makayla Lindsey each had a hit in the sixth-inning rally.
 
Acevedo finished 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, and McBride went 1-for-3 with a double. Ruffin, who entered as a pinch hitter for Olivia Miller in the second inning, went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a walk.
 
Mississippi Valley State starter Madison Bruce (0-9) took the loss, surrendering five runs (three earned) on 11 hits over six innings. She struck out four.
 
Sheridan Kynard went 3-for-3 for the Delta Devilettes, accounting for half of the team's six hits. As a unit, MVSU committed three errors and was held scoreless on the day until the sixth inning.
 
With the sweep, Alcorn won both ends of a twin bill on its home field to move to 11-18 on the season.
 
UP NEXT
Alcorn stays in the "Bayou State" on Tuesday, March 31, traveling to Louisiana-Monroe for a midweek nonconference affair at 6 p.m.