Box Score
GULFPORT, Miss.- Florida A&M claimed its first Southwestern Athletic Conference Softball Tournament Championship in dramatic fashion on Saturday evening with a 2-1 walk-off victory over in the tournament title game at the Gulfport Sportsplex.
The Rattlers secured the historic championship after Braxtyn Battle delivered the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning to score Kiara Beltre. Beltre reached base on a bunt single before Samantha Smith was hit by a pitch, setting the stage for Battle’s decisive hit to left field.
Florida A&M struck first in the opening inning when Neriah Lee singled and later scored on an RBI triple by Amari Brown to give the Rattlers a 1-0 advantage.
Southern answered in the second inning as Keira Miracle-Tilford scored on an RBI groundout by Ariel Burton to even the score at 1-1. The Jaguars managed just two hits in the contest but remained within striking distance throughout the tightly contested championship matchup.
Samantha Smith turned in a complete-game performance in the circle for Florida A&M, allowing one run on two hits while striking out one batter across seven innings to earn the win.
The Rattlers totaled seven hits offensively with Kiara Beltre leading the way with two hits and the game-winning run scored. Neriah Lee, Amari Brown, Keeleigh Spooner, and Braxtyn Battle also recorded hits for Florida A&M.
Southern pitcher Aaliyah Zabala was strong in defeat, tossing 6.1 innings while allowing two runs and striking out three batters. Abigail Mitchell and Prestaisha White accounted for the Jaguars’ two hits.
With the victory, Florida A&M clinches the automatic qualifier berth for the league as the Rattlers will now get set to compete at the NCAA Softball Tournament.
All-Tournament Team
Zaria Turner, Texas Southern
Jade McQueen, Texas Southern
Kohana Pousson, Alabama State
Abigail Mitchell, Southern
Asia George, Southern
Ava Wallace, Southern
Aaliyah Zabala, Southern
Neriah Lee, Florida A&M
Amari Brown, Florida A&M
Zoryana Hughes, Florida A&M
Jamison Townsend, Florida A&M
Samantha Smith, Florida A&M (MVP)
About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams.
Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field and Tennis.
Women’s competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball.
Follow the SWAC
For complete coverage of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, please follow the SWAC on social media at @TheSWAC (Twitter), @TheSWAC (Facebook), and @TheSWAC (Instagram) or visit the official home of the Southwestern Athletic Conference at
www.swac.org.