Tournament Field Shrinks by Two, GSU, UAPB Done
SWAC.org
IRONDALE - And then there were six. Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Grambling State were the first two victims of the SWAC Softball Tournament on Friday at the Shea Brothers Softball Complex. Alabama State eliminated Arkansas-Pine Bluff 7-2, while Grambling State was knocked out by Prairie View 6-2. In the winner's bracket games, Jackson State blanked Texas Southern 8-0 and Mississippi Valley beat Alabama A&M by the same score. Both games were ended in five innings.
On Saturday, Prairie View meets Alabama A&M in a rematch, while Alabama State and Texas Southern tangle in another. The losers will hit the road, while the winners advance to the semifinals. The winner of A&M/PVAM faces Mississippi Valley, while the TSU/ASU survivor meets Jackson State. Both games are scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
Alabama State 7, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 2
Alabama State posted a pair of runs in each of the first three innings and never looked back. With the win, ASU advanced to the next round, while UAPB was eliminated.
Centerfielder Meagan Dixon got the Lady Hornets on the board first with a solo home run. Later in the inning, Kimberly Ross scored on an error later to give ASU a 2-0 lead. In the second inning, ASU scored two more runs with two outs.
Then, in the third, ASU loaded the bases with no outs. Sosefina Toilolo singled to make it 5-0. Then, Breeya Wright drove home another run with a sacrifice fly.
UAPB posted a pair of late runs to avoid the shutout, while Bama State put up one more to round out the scoring.
Brehanna Rodrigues, Dixon, and Ross all had two hits each for ASU. Dixon homered and doubled, while Ross doubled and scored two runs.
Jasmine Hardwick had a home run and Tanisha Bradford doubled for UAPB.
Prairie View 6, Grambling 2
IRONDALE, Ala. - One night after suffering a heartbreaking loss in their tourney opener, the Prairie View A&M Lady Panthers reversed course and overcame a two-run deficit to beat Grambling State.
The Lady Panthers fell behind 2-0 after the first inning as Grambling State's Raven Turner hit a two-run homer for the early lead. PVAM persevered and knotted the contest at 2-all in the second as freshman Druscilla Marmolejo hit a bases-loaded single down the right field line which brought in Leanna Flores and Kelly Scruggs.
The score remained tied until the fifth as the Lady Panthers loaded the bases with no outs. Flores opened the floodgates with an RBI single followed by a bases-loaded walk from Scruggs for a 4-2 advantage. Freshman Olivia Pace added an RBI followed by Marmolejo's third RBI for a 6-2 advantage.
Outside of a minor scare in the seventh, the Lady Panthers cruised from that point en route to their first tourney win since defeating Grambling State in 2008.
Freshmen Shontel Lopez and Nicole Gallardo, who're both from the state of New Mexico, led the team with two hits apiece.
Marmolejo followed with a team-high three RBIs and a walk while sophomore Cally Falls struck out four on two hits.
Mississippi Valley State 8, Alabama A&M 0 (5)
The second day of the SWAC Tournament for Mississippi Valley State ended just like the first. The Devilettes came out with a victory, blanking Alabama A&M. It marked the 15th straight win for the Devilettes, who haven’t lost since an April 3 game at Central Arkansas. Alicia Lorenz (18-8) worked all six innings and gave up just two hits with eight strikeouts. Alexandria Robertson was hot at the plate, finishing with three hits and four RBIs. Xiomara Perez chipped in two hits and two RBIs.
Jackson State 8, Texas Southern 0 (5)
JSU pitcher Breea Jamerson tossed a four-hit shutout to lead the Tigers to a blowout of Texas Southern. Jamerson pitched four innings, struck out two and walked one. Right fielder Lauren Aikens was 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Tayler Nave and Jasmine Warren had two hits apiece as JSU piled up 12 overall.