Kelsey Grochow led SCSU with a homerun in the second inning recording two RBI and two runs. Unique Whitehurst and Kahla Caster each recorded two RBI. Vianney Gomez (1-0) earned the win with three strikeouts for the game.
AAMU (2-1) picked up a double win facing Bluefield State (0-4) and Fayetteville State (0-2) on Friday evening.
The Lady Bulldogs faced the Lady Blues, AAMU led 5-0 at the top of the third, however BSU could not manage to get on the board before the fifth inning.
A&M went on to an 8-0 run-rule victory after scoring additional runs in both the fourth (2) and fifth (1) innings.
Britt led the way offensively tallying two runs, two hits and one RBI on four at bats. She also captured the win in the circle as A&M improved to 1-1 on the day.
In the final game of the day against Fayetteville State, Alabama A&M cruised to a 16-5 victory. After falling behind one in the first innings, AAMU picked up the momentum to turn the game in their favor.
The Lady Bulldogs recorded 17 total hits in five innings of play. Freshmen Chelsey Ferguson and Haylee Moran-Rowen led the way hitting a combined 9-9.
Ferguson was 4-4, including two triples, four RBIs, and three runs scored, while Rowen was 5-5 including two RBI to couple two runs scored.
Z Howard took the loss for the Lady Broncos; she pitched five innings while teammates Daniqua Taylor and Amanda Anderson posted two RBI apiece.
They will return to the field tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. versus Clark Atlanta University weather permitting.
Mississippi Valley State (0-2)(8-0) Jacksonville State
BOX SCORE(8-0) Mississippi State BOX SCORE
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Defending Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament champions, Mississippi Valley State University, opened its 2014 slate with 8-0 losses to Jacksonville State and host Mississippi State during the Bulldog Kick-Off Classic on Friday at Mississippi State Softball Field.
Cassandra Rivera (0-2) suffered both losses for MVSU (0-2) on the day in five innings. Rivera posted two strikeouts against JAXST (1-0) before giving up eight walks versus MSU (1-0).
After finishing without a hit in the loss to the Gamecocks, Natalia Covarrubias recorded the only base for the Devillettes against the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs closed out the game with five runs in the fifth. Logan Foulks and Katie Gentle finished with two RBI and Jessica Offutt scattered two runs going 2-for-3 at the plate.
Jacey Punches (1-0) was tabbed with the win for MSU throwing nine strikeouts. Casey Akenberger (1-0) captured the win for JAXST retiring three batters.
The Gamecocks posted five runs in the third to put the game out of reach. Sara Sloan finished going 2-of-3 with three runs and a RBI. Cadi Oliver added three RBI and a run on one hit.
Southern (0-1)(10-1) Buffalo
BOX SCORE
(19-5) Buffalo
BOX SCOREBATON ROUGE, L.a. – Southern University began its 17th season in program history underway at the Lady Jaguar Field. This also marks the beginning of head coach Lee Dobbins first year at the helm of the program. The Lady Jaguars (0-1) took a loss to Buffalo (1-0) on Friday.
SU was lead by third baseman Jade Luke), who recorded two at bats, a solo home run and bringing in her first run on the season. Jasmine Payne posted one RBI and one home run.
Jonee Rutledge took the loss for Southern with four stolen bases and seven runs.
Buffalo (1-0) took the lead in the first inning with 7-0. Tori Speckman took the win for BU pitching four innings, including eight strikeouts.
In the second game of the day Carla Arismendi (0-1) suffered both losses for SU (0-2) on the day in two innings. Rutledge posted two strikeouts against Buffalo (2-0) before giving up five walks.
The Lady Jaguars hot a total of six home runs with two from Harley Roller. Buffalo closed out the game in the sixth inning with eight runs.
Jackson State (0-1)
6-3 Wichita State
BOX SCORERUSTON, La. – The Jackson State University softball team fell 6-3 to Wichita State University Friday evening in the Louisiana Tech University Lady Techster Tournament to begin its quest to a Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship.
With the loss, the Lady Tigers are 0-1 overall.
JSU started the game slow, having its first three batters retired in the top of the first. In the second, the Lady Tigers caught a break, collecting a one-out single off the bat of sophomore Chelsea Smith to right field. Unfortunately, Smith was unable to score after a ground out and an out on a steal.
The Lady Tigers began the third inning, grasping a lead-off walk. Freshman Victoria Nelson reached on an error, while Colvin advanced to second. Freshman AJ Hervey drew the second walk in the inning, making the bases loaded. After consecutive strikeouts and a wild pitch advancing a runner home, senior Lauran Aikens doubled to right-center field scoring two more runs for JSU.
Jackson State could not manage to keep up the rest of the game, recording its only other hit off the bat of Aikens in the sixth on an infield single to third.
WSU plated a run in the first and added five in the fifth, capping a 6-3 contest.
Aikens led JSU offensively, going 2-for-3 including two RBI; while Smith finished the game going 1-for-3 at the plate. Senior Breea Jamerson recorded the loss and falls 0-1 on the season.
The Lady Tigers are scheduled to face Houston Baptist University Saturday, Feb. 8 during day two of the Lady Techster Tournament beginning at 9 a.m.
Alabama State (0-2)
(8-0) Missouri-Kansas
BOX SCORE(9-12) Akron
BOX SCOREHammond, La.- Alabama State University opened up its season playing in the Tangi Tourism Lion Classic, falling in their first game of the day to the University of Missouri-Kansas City 8-0, while dropping game two in a thriller match-up to the University of Akron 12-9.
The first game ASU was able to get runners on base, but unable to capitalize and score runs. The Lady Hornets single hit came in the first inning when Laura Augilar singled to left center. On the defensive side the Lady Hornets had 12 putouts with four of them coming from catcher Alessa Yanez. Melissa Christmann was the starting pitcher going four innings giving up three runs on four hits.
In the Lady Hornet's second game against the University of Akron which started off as a close matched game as both pitchers came out battling. The Hornets struck first with a home run by Yanez in the second inning. The teams went on to score one run an inning until the bottom of the fifth where the Lady Hornets tacked on three runs making it a 6-3 game going in to the sixth inning.
In the top of the sixth Akron scored seven runs but the Hornets responded in the bottom of that inning with three runs making it a 10-9 game. Akron was able to secure the win by scoring two runs at the top of the seventh inning closing the game out on a 12-9 victory.
Jazzmin Romero hit her first home on the season, while Shantelle Smith started in the circle for the Lady Hornets going 5.2 innings allowing eight runs off of nine hits.
Alabama State will be back in action tomorrow as they face Buffalo at 12:30 p.m. and Nicholls State at 3 p.m. on day two of the Tangi Tourism Lion Classic.
Texas Southern
(11-6) Nicholls State BOX SCORE(11-3) Southeastern Louisiana
BOX SCOREHAMMOND, La. – Texas Southern University softball team opened the 2014 season in the Lion Classic at Chappapeela Park on Friday by winning 11-6 against Nicholls State before run ruling tournament host Southeastern Louisiana 11-3 in game two of the day for the Lady Tigers.
Nicholls (0-2) and Texas Southern (2-0) combined for 30 hits in the teams' season opener, but the Lady Tigers put up five-runs in the top of the seventh to claim the win.
Nicholls jumped out to a 5-2 lead after two innings thanks in part to a 2-run homer, but Texas Southern rallied to take the lead in the fourth before blowing the game open with five runs in its final at bat.
The Colonels home run came in the first, giving Nicholls a 2-0 lead. After the Lady Tigers evened the score in the top of the second, the Colonels got three doubles in their next at bat to take a 5-2 lead.
Down 5-3 in the fourth, TSU plated three runs to take the lead for good. The Colonels were then held scoreless in their next three at bats before the Lady Tigers exploded with a five-run frame in the seventh. In all Texas Southern pounded out 16 hits versus Nicholls with Fatima Alvizo leading the way with three RBI.
In game two TSU kept the bats hot as they erupted for 11 more runs in a dominating performance of SELU. Texas Southern jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Southeastern answered in the bottom half, scoring three runs without the benefit of the hit.
In the top of the second inning, a two-run home run by Thomasina Garza and two Southeastern errors helped the Lady Tigers take a 9-3 lead. After SELU threw two scoreless innings, TSU added two more runs in the top of the fifth inning on a home run by Krystalani Yockman.
Southeastern loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth inning on two singles and a walk. However, Madison Staton ended the game by forcing sophomore outfielder Sloane Jenkins to fly out to deep left.
Staton was able to pick up her first career win at Texas Southern in game two of the afternoon as she threw a two-hitter in five innings of work. Texas Southern will continue tournament play tomorrow starting at 10:00 am versus Akron.