Braves Softball Splits Pair with Grambling State

LORMAN, Miss. – The trio of Yahnya Acevedo, Rajayla McBride and Olivia Miller each had strong offensive performances Wednesday afternoon as Alcorn Softball split a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) doubleheader with Grambling State at Alcorn Softball Complex in Lorman, Mississippi. Grambling took the opener 8-7, before the Braves bounced back and grabbed a 9-2 win in the nightcap.
 
GAME ONE: GRAMBLING 8, ALCORN 7
Z'Natria Evans delivered a two-run double, and Logan-Ray Gaspar capped the comeback with an RBI bunt single as Grambling State scored four runs in the seventh inning to score an 8-7 come-from-behind win over Alcorn in the first game of a doubleheader Wednesday at Alcorn Softball Complex in Lorman, Mississippi
 
Grambling (11-19, 4-9 SWAC) trailed 7-4 heading into the final frame before erupting for the go-ahead runs in the top-half of the seventh.
 
Centerfielder Kamryn Broussard led off the seventh with a double, and after Cadashia Collins drew a walk, Z'Natria Evans lined a two-run double to right-center to knot the score at 7-7. Ziya Donaldson followed with an RBI single that scored Evans and gave the Tigers their first lead since the fourth inning.
 
Shortstop Logan-Ray Gaspar then dropped down a bunt single to plate Donaldson and put the visiting Tigers ahead for good via the winning run.
 
Evans finished the game 3-for-4 with four RBIs, a double and a triple, accounting for the biggest offensive output of the afternoon. Gaspar went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, including the game-winning hit.
 
Alcorn (11-23, 0-11 SWAC) appeared to have the game in hand after scoring three runs in the sixth inning to take a 7-4 lead.
 
With the game tied at 4-4 in the home-half of the sixth, Yahnya Acevedo singled in a run, Paris Thompson added a two-run double down the right-field line, and Mariah Morgan capped the rally with a sacrifice fly.
 
Acevedo was the offensive standout for the Braves, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two stolen bases. Sanai Salvant, the Braves second baseman, contributed a two-RBI single during Alcorn's three-run fourth inning that tied the game at 4-all, respectfully.
 
Grambling had jumped to an early 4-1 lead through three innings.
 
Gaspar tripled in the second to score Evans, and the Tigers added three more in the third on an RBI single by Collins and a two-run triple by Evans.
 
Erin Gibbs earned the win in relief for Grambling, improving to 2-0 on the campaign. She tossed the final three innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on two hits while striking out one. Starter Jaidan Richard gave up four earned runs over four innings.
 
Chiara Olison took the loss for Alcorn, falling to 7-13 across the season. She surrendered eight earned runs on nine hits in 6.1 innings of work.
 
GAME TWO: ALCORN 9, GRAMBLING 2
Alainah Felton pitched a complete game and Jamyiyah Cotten delivered a two-run single as part of a three-run third inning to power Alcorn to a 9-2 victory over Grambling State in the second game of a SWAC Softball doubleheader Wednesday afternoon Alcorn Softball Complex, allowing the Braves to split the twin bill with the visiting Tigers.
 
Felton went the distance for Alcorn (12-23, 1-11 SWAC), scattering five hits over seven innings while striking out four and walking three to earn the win and improve to 3-6 on the season. She also contributed offensively, going 1-for-2 with two RBIs and scoring once.
 
Alcorn seized control early, scoring two runs in the second inning on a Mariah Morgan RBI triple and a run-scoring single by Felton.
 
The Purple and Gold then broke the game open in the third frame, plating three more runs.
 
Cotten's two-run single to center field scored Yahnya Acevedo and pinch runner Makayla Lindsey, and Mariah Morgan followed with an RBI single to push the lead to 5-2.
 
Grambling (11-20, 4-10 SWAC) briefly made things interesting in the top of the third, tying the game at two on back-to-back RBI singles by Ashunte Specks and Z'Natria Evans.
 
But the host Braves answered immediately in the bottom half to put the game out of reach.
 
Alcorn added four more insurance runs in the fifth inning to put the contest away.
 
Felton was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in a run, Karmen Bernard plated another with a sacrifice fly, and Sanai Salvant and Acevedo followed with consecutive RBI singles to cap the scoring.
 
Morgan finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a triple, while Acevedo went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two stolen bases to pace the Purple and Gold offense. Rajayla McBride reached base twice and scored twice, including a triple to kick off the fifth.
 
Erin Gibbs took the loss for Grambling in the pitcher's circle, falling to 2-1. She allowed five earned runs on six hits in 2.2 innings of work before giving way to Jaidan Richard, who surrendered four more earned runs over three innings.
Evans went 1-for-3 with an RBI to lead Grambling offensively, while Specks added an RBI single and a stolen base.
 
The two teams meet back at Alcorn Softball Complex Thursday, April 2, at noon for the rubber game of the series.
 
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