Softball Suffers Series Defeat at Southern University

BATON ROUGE, La. – Paris Thompson registered three hits across two games, and a total of three different Braves hit home runs overall Saturday afternoon as Alcorn Softball dropped both legs of a doubleheader against Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) foe Southern University at Lady Jaguar Field in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Southern took the first game 9-4, and swept the day with a 10-7 decision in the nightcap.
 
GAME ONE: SOUTHERN (LA.) 9, ALCORN 4
Abigail Mitchell launched a three-run home run in the first inning and Southern University never looked back Saturday afternoon, defeating Alcorn State 9-4 in the first game of a doubleheader of SWAC Softball action at Lady Jaguar Field to improve to 7-4 in conference play.
 
Abigail Mitchell's blast to center field with two runners aboard in the bottom of the first set the tone early and proved to be all the Lady Jaguars would need.
 
Southern (21-11, 7-4 SWAC) starter Chakirrious Parker handled the rest, going the distance inside the circle, and allowing four runs on seven hits while striking out two in a complete-game effort to improve to 4-3 on the season.
 
Having plated three runs in the opening frame, the homestanding Jaguars added to their lead in the second inning when Katiana Maldonado doubled, stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Kira Manganello to make it 4-0. Ariel Burton, the Southern (La.) designated player, kept the pressure on in the third, belting a solo home run to left center to push the advantage to 5-2 after Alcorn brought two runs back in the top-half of the frame.
 
Southern (La.) put the game away in the fourth, sending three runners across the plate.
 
Third baseman Prestaisha White drove a two-run single through the right side that scored Manganello and Maldonado. White later scored on a wild pitch to make it 8-2, accounting for two of her three RBIs on the afternoon.
 
For the visiting Braves (11-20, 0-9 SWAC), the most threatening sequence came in the third inning, when pitcher Chiara Olison – batting in the lineup – crushed a two-run home run to left field (her first of the campaign), scoring Layla Watts to cut the deficit to 5-2.
 
However, the Jaguars answered immediately in the bottom half with Burton's solo shot.
 
Alcorn first baseman Paris Thompson provided another offensive highlight for the Purple and Gold, hitting a solo home run to left center in the sixth inning. For Thompson, a junior from Kokomo, Mississippi, the round-tripper was her team-high tying third of the year, matching Yahnya Acevedo and Mariah Morgan in that category for the Braves. Pitcher Alainah Felton, who relieved Olison in the third, added an RBI single in the seventh to account for the final margin.
 
Olison took the loss, falling to 7-11 on the season after surrendering five runs (all earned) on six hits in 2.2 innings tossed on the rubber. Alainah Felton allowed four runs on three hits over 3.1 innings in relief.
 
GAME TWO: SOUTHERN (LA.) 10, ALCORN 7
Alcorn led 7-5 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, but Southern University erupted for five runs in the home-half Saturday afternoon to complete a doubleheader sweep of the Braves, 10-7, at Lady Jaguar Field.
 
Mariah Morgan, a senior from Ripley, Tennessee, gave Alcorn (11-21, 0-10 SWAC) an early jolt, blasting a three-run home run – her team-high matching third of the season, to right field in the top of the first inning to score Khi Rather and Yahnya Acevedo, respectfully, and stake the Braves to a 3-0 lead. It was one of three home runs Alcorn would hit on the afternoon across the two games.
 
Southern (22-11, 8-4 SWAC) responded immediately, when left fielder Jaciee Massey sent a two-run shot clear the wall in right in the bottom of the first to pull the Jaguars within one, 3-2.
 
The lead changed hands twice in the second inning.
 
Braves first baseman Layla Watts led off the top half with a solo home run to center field to push the Alcorn advantage back to 4-2, but Southern (La.) stormed back with three runs in the bottom half.
 
Prestaisha White, the Jaguars third baseman, homered to left field, Laila Clark doubled home Massey, and Ariel Burton singled and advanced on a throwing error to score Clark, giving the Jaguars a 5-4 advantage.
 
The Purple and Gold retook the advantage in the third.
 
Pitcher Olivia Miller registered a two-run home run – her second of the campaign – to straightaway center field that scored Makayla Lindsey and pushed the Braves in front 7-5. A sacrifice fly by Paris Thompson earlier in the inning had tied the game at 5-5, respectfully.
 
Southern (La.) starter Jordynn Jennings and reliever Hayley Hinds struggled early, combining to allow seven runs over the first three innings. But Aaliyah Zabala entered in the third and was dominant the rest of the way, retiring the Braves in order over her final four-plus innings on the rubber and allowing just one hit across 4.1 frames to earn the win and improve to 10-3.
 
The sixth inning was the decisive turn in the contest.
 
Massey singled and scored on a Clark single, Clark scored on an Abigail Mitchell double to tie the game at seven, and then Burton delivered a key two-run homer to left center that put Southern (La.) ahead for good at 9-7. Kira Manganello added a sacrifice fly to cap the five-run frame for the host Jaguars.
 
Alcorn went quietly in the seventh, going down in order to end the game.
 
Acevedo added two hits for the Purple and Gold to lead the offense.
 
Miller took the loss for the Braves, dropping her record for the year at 2-3, as she allowed all 10 runs on 14 hits across five innings. Three home runs by Massey, Burton and White powered Southern's offense, with Burton finishing 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
 
Alcorn looks to rebound in the midweek when the Braves travel to ULM on Tuesday, March 31, at 6 p.m., in Monroe, Louisiana.
 
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