2017 SWAC Softball Tournament: Day Two
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Prairie View A&M 5, Mississippi Valley State 3 Box Score MONTGOMERY, Ala. – A quick start by Prairie View (20-27) held up in a 5-3 victory over Mississippi Valley State (13-33) that sent the Panthers to the next round of the tournament and ended the Devilettes' season.
Prairie View struck first when Shelby Williams (2-for-2, 3 R, 2 SB) drew a walk and later scored as the ensuing throw-out attempt on a Briana Knowles bunt was off-target. Knowles advanced the third during the play, and Kylar Ward-Flowers brought her home with an infield single. However, the Lady Panthers stranded two runners in the frame.
As MVSU stranded runners early on, the Lady Panthers used small ball in the second to add to their lead, as an Amanda Ford single was followed by bunt singles from S. Williams and Knowles to load the bases. Ford later scored on a passed ball, and Destinee Williams scored S. Williams with a RBI groundout.
The Devilettes again got something going in the fourth, and Lexany Terrones (2-for-3, R) delivered a two-run single to cut into the Lady Panthers' lead. Kaylin Dunn zipped a single down the right-field line to bring in Terrones, making it 4-3 before Higgins and company ended the inning.
Prairie View responded in the bottom of the frame as Knowles smacked a RBI single to score S. Williams. After both sides stranded runners in the sixth, Higgins (CG, 10 H, 3 ER) escaped a seventh-inning jam to end the game.
The Devilettes stranded 12 runners in the contest. Rebekah Clinton took the loss, allowing nine hits and five runs (three earned). Prairie View faces Alabama State tomorrow at 9 a.m.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 11, Alcorn State 5
Box Score
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – A big second inning powered Arkansas-Pine Bluff to an 11-5 defeat of top-seeded Alcorn State, ending the Eastern Division champion's season.
Alcorn State used the long ball to its advantage early, as the Lady Braves got back-to-back jacks from Taylor Hughes (two-run) and Jessica Crum to go ahead 3-0 in the first inning.
After consecutive base hits by Alexandra Taylor and Monique Nikolao, Kameron Graham (2-for-3, 3 RBI, 2 R) brought UAPB back in it with a two-run triple in the second, and Shanice Akins tied it with a RBI single. After Sametria Collins mishandled a grounder from Ta'Lyn Moody, two more runs came in to score, making it 5-3 and chasing Alcorn starter Ambria Dorsey.
The Lady Lions continued the pressure, as Taylor dropped in a single just past second base to score Moody, and Nikolao drove in Paige Garcia with a single to shallow right.
The Lady Braves got back to work in their half of the frame, with back-to-back doubles by Victoria Tyler (2-for-4, R)and Courtenay Holt – the latter scoring the former – to cut into the deficit. Alcorn picked up another in the bottom fourth when Crum drew a bases-loaded walk, but the Lady Braves ultimately stranded three runners.
UAPB (19-23) added more runs in the fifth, when the Lady Lions led off the inning with back-to-back doubles and took advantage of an error in left field. Graham, Akins and Garcia all collected RBI singles during the fray as the Lady Lions ended the inning up 11-5.
From there, the Lady Braves (16-31) failed to convert scoring chances, stranding three in the sixth and coming up empty in the seventh.
Angelique Ramos got the win with a four-inning outing, allowing eight hits and five runs. Ambria Dorsey was charged with the loss, chased after 1.2 innings with five hits and six runs allowed. UAPB will face Alabama A&M tomorrow at 11:30 a.m.
Texas Southern 3, Alabama State 2
Box Score
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Texas Southern came back from a 2-0 sixth-inning deficit to defeat Alabama State 3-2 and advance in the winner's bracket of the 2017 SWAC Softball Tournament.
Alabama State starter Vanessa Bradford and Texas Southern starter Lauren Rodriguez largely kept the clamps on the opposing offenses through the first three innings, though the defending SWAC softball tournament champions created chances only to narrowly miss out on runs as they stranded four in the first three innings.
In the fourth, the Lady Hornets (17-32) put one on the scoreboard as Amira James sent a Rodriguez (CG, 4 H, 6 BB, W) offering over the left field wall to make the game 1-0. However, ASU ended the inning with the bases loaded. With Texas Southern unable to get going offensively, Alabama State scrapped another on the board in the sixth when James scored following a Therese Byrne sacrifice bunt that was airmailed by the first baseman.
Texas Southern (23-18) finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth frame, loading the bases – thanks to a pitch that struck Krystalani Yockman – and bringing Heaven Benavidez across home plate with a RBI sac fly by Sierra Valdez. Marissa Padron drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game before Bradford (6.2 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, L) struck out Jocilynn Ellis to end the inning.
Alabama State threatened in the top of the seventh, getting runners to second and third, but Rodriguez fanned Perry Hindi to escape the jam.
Texas Southern then got runners on after Kelsey Riley (2-for-4) led off with a single, and Riley scored the winning run on a sac fly by Chanler Powell.
Alabama State now plays Prairie View at 9 a.m. Friday in the loser's bracket. Southern will face Southern at 2 p.m. for a spot in the tournament final.
Southern 10, Alabama A&M 2
Box Score
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Southern capitalized on Alabama A&M mistakes down the stretch as the Jaguars pulled away from the Lady Bulldogs 10-2 in the final game of the second day of the 2017 SWAC Softball Tournament.
Alabama A&M started the scoring as starting pitcher Imani Largin helped her own cause in the second, smacking a triple to right center and scoring during the play thanks to a throwing error.
Southern (17-20) responded in the third inning, loading the bases after Sydney Andrews walked, Shauna Knighten dropped a bunt single and Suttles reached on a fielder's choice. Tiara Scott scored Andrews on a sac fly, and Scarlett Brock brought Knighten home on a RBI groundout.
Alabama A&M's (17-29) Tiana Sanders tied things up with a RBI single to left that scored Kia Lang, but Sanders was tagged out trying to stretch to third during an Ariel Smith single. Southern starter Aubrion James then retired Viridiana Ramos to end the inning.
The Jaguars tipped the scales in their favor in the fifth inning when Suttles led off with a single and scored on a Jazmine Dukes triple. Brock followed with a RBI single. The momentum carried over into the sixth, where the Jaguars picked up two more runs after a Suttles single was misfired by Jessica Alferos, allowing Jaslyn Perrodin and Andrews to score. Brock later drove in Suttles with a single, and the Jaguars added insurance runs late to seal it.
Southern now faces Texas Southern at 2 p.m. Friday, with the winner advancing to the tournament final. Alabama A&M will face Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 11:30 a.m.