#SWACSB19 Tournament Recaps: Day Three
Alabama State 4, Texas Southern 3
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Following a 17-hour delay, Skyler Sullivan was the heroine for Alabama State as her two-run single in the top of the seventh lifted the Lady Hornets to the semifinals with a 4-3 win over Texas Southern Friday morning during the 2019 Southwestern Athletic Conference Softball Tournament.
With Alabama State down 3-2 entering the final frame, Amira James reached on a single to start the seventh and give Alabama State a chance to prolong the contest, and Alexis Massie followed with a single to shallow left. Sullivan’s clutch hit pushed James and Massie across home plate. From there, Justine Jean shut down the Lady Tigers for the save, preserving the win.
Alabama State’s Kaylee Davis scored the first run of the day thanks to a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded. However, Destiny Ricks and the Lady Tigers curtailed the damage from there.
Texas Southern tied the game with a RBI sacrifice fly from Marissa Padron that scored Madi Marek. The Lady Tigers took the lead in the third when Terren Vinson singled and Julia Bilbao followed with a RBI double. However, Texas Southern was unable to push Bilbao across.
The Hornets knotted things back up with a solo shot from James, but Bilbao returned fire with a triple to right centerfield and scored on the play due to an airmailed throw to home plate by the shortstop.
Naomi Reyes, who came on in relief to start the sixth, was charged with the loss after allowing five hits and two runs in 2.0 innings of relief.
Key Stats
- Sydnor posted a 2-for-3 effort at the plate, and James was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
- Vanessa Bradford picked up the win, going 6.0 innings and allowing four hits while striking out two.
- Bilbao was 2-for-3 with a run scored.
- TSU’s Destiny Ricks threw 5.0 innings, allowing four hits and one earned run.
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Prairie View A&M 6, Alabama A&M 1
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Prairie View A&M used a fast start to cruise past Alabama A&M 6-1 Friday morning during the 2019 Southwestern Athletic Conference Softball Tournament.
Prairie View A&M led off with singles by Shelby Williams and Destinee Williams, the latter of whom stole second. Laurisa Hernandez followed with a RBI sacrifice fly to score S. Williams, and D. Williams scored on a mishandled grounder to shortstop.
The defending champions continued their early push in the second inning, as S. Williams doubled to bring home Daneisha Hinton. Alabama A&M manufactured a chance of its own during the bottom of the frame, but PVAMU starter Vannessa Castro forced Tia Davis to pop out, stranding a pair of Lady Bulldog runners.
From there, the Lady Panthers stayed in the driver’s seat, as Hernandez took a Lauren Hayden offering out of the park in the top of the third to make the game 4-0. The Lady Panthers tacked on two more in the top of the fifth thanks to a two-run double by Serena Antone.
Alabama A&M’s Danielle Hansell put the Lady Bulldogs on the board with a solo home run to right center field, but that was all for the East No. 1 seed as Castro finished matters off from there.
Key Stats
- Hinton was 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.
- Castro improved to 10-4 on the season, striking out six over a complete-game effort.
- Lauren Hayden was assessed the loss, allowing five hits and four runs (three earned) over 3.0 innings.
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Texas Southern 2, Jackson State 1
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – In a rematch of opening round play, Texas Southern again outlasted Jackson State, this time by a score of 2-1 to move on in the 2019 Southwestern Athletic Conference Softball Tournament Friday afternoon.
A pitcher’s duel early on between Texas Southern’s Destiny Ricks and Jackson State’s Kayla Owens, Jackson State threatened in the third when Kaitlyn Elzie singled and stole second, but a routine pop out ended that chance.
Texas Southern attempted to get going as Marissa Padron led off the bottom of the third with a double to left. After Padron advanced to third, Terren Vinson put TSU on the board with a RBI single. In the top of the fourth, Jackson State’s Ariana Cruz drew a walk and stole second, but after Destyn Jones earned a free pass, Vinson threw out Cruz at the plate on a Yasmin Melero single to preserve TSU’s lead, and Owens flied out to end the inning, stranding two runners.
Owens managed to limit Texas Southern’s offense from that point, and Jackson State mounted a final chance when Madelyn Prukop drew a walk from Ricks, and Zoey Keyes reached with a single. After JSU loaded the bases, Sierra Smith singled home Prukop to tie the game.
Texas Southern won it with small ball and a throwing error, as Kelsey Riley reached via single and moved to third on consecutive bunt singles, the latter allowing her to score due to an off-target throw from third to first.
Key Stats
- Owens received the hard-luck loss, allowing seven hits and one run. She struck out four. Owens allowed one earned run or less in each of her three starts in the tournament.
- Bailey Daniels of TSU got the win in relief, as Ricks threw 6.0 innings with one run allowed and four hits surrendered.
- TSU’s Vinson was 2-for-3 with a RBI.
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Alabama A&M 4, Alcorn State 0
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – A big fourth-inning aided by Alcorn State miscues propelled Alabama A&M to a 4-0 win Friday afternoon during the 2019 Southwestern Athletic Conference Softball Tournament.
Alcorn State had a prime chance to get the upper hand early after loading the bases thanks to base hits by Victoria Tyler and Brooke Roach as well as a walk to Sandrea Hord, but Alabama A&M starter Lauren Hayden forced Keelee Huff to fly out and end the threat.
The Lady Braves again threatened when Desirea Lindsey walked and Roach doubled, but during the ensuing play, Jamia Kirk threw out Lindsey at the plate to keep the game scoreless.
Though Hayden kept Alcorn State from cashing in on its chances, the Lady Bulldogs weren’t able to get much going against Lady Braves starter Ambria Dorsey until the bottom of the fourth, where Alyssa Lopez and Lisabelle Hansell delivered back-to-back singles. Both players scored via error, and Madi Pozzi smacked a two-run homer to increase the Lady Bulldogs’ lead.
Though Alabama A&M squandered a bases-loaded opportunity in the bottom of the fifth, Lauren Hayden ensured the early run support held firm, keeping the Lady Braves offense in check the rest of the way.
Key Stats
- Lisabelle Hansell led AAMU with a pair of hits.
- Hayden got the win with a complete-game effort, scattering seven hits and four walks.
- Brooke Roach led Alcorn State with three hits.
- Dorsey received the loss, allowing four runs – all unearned – in four innings of work.
- Alcorn State stranded 10 runners in the game.
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Alabama State 3, Prairie View A&M 2
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama State advanced to the 2019 SWAC Softball Tournament Finals with a 3-2 win over defending champion Prairie View A&M Friday afternoon at the Barbara Williams Softball Complex.
Alabama State threatened when Alexis Sydnor drew a walk and Kristin Gunter singled to get two on, but Prairie View A&M ace Crystal Castillo struck out Charlene Castro to end threat. PVAMU picked up back-to-back singles by Destinee Williams and Laurisa Hernandez, but the Lady Panthers weren’t able to advance the runners.
The Lady Hornets again got two on in the second, making Castillo work early, but the Lady Panthers’ hurler was up to the task, striking out Durham to put an end to the scoring chance.
Prairie View A&M then got on the board when – after Daneisha Hinton reached on a single – Serena Antone turned on a Justine Jean offering, sending it over the left field fence for a two-run shot.
The Lady Hornets loaded the bases in the top of the fourth, and after Castillo struck out Alexis Massie, an errant pitch struck Teah Steel to push one across, and Durham tied the game with a RBI sacrifice fly. Alabama State took the lead when Amira James – who stole third – scored after a throwing error by the PVAMU catcher.
From that point, Prairie View A&M had chances but was unable to push any across as Alabama State’s Justine Jean limited the Lady Panthers’ bats down the stretch.
Key Stats
- Jean scattered 10 hits over the game, getting the complete game win.
- Castillo was tagged with the loss, allowing three runs – all unearned – while striking out eight.
- This marks the fifth-straight year that Alabama State has advanced to the SWAC Softball Tournament final.
- Destinee Williams was 3-for-3 for PVAMU, who stranded nine runners.
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Texas Southern 1, Alabama A&M 0
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – A one-hit shutout by Naomi Reyes sent Texas Southern to the semifinals, as the Lady Tigers prevailed 1-0 over Alabama A&M Friday evening at the 2019 SWAC Softball Tournament.
Neither side could get much going offensively in the initial goings, as Alabama A&M’s Alyssa Lopez and Texas Southern’s Reyes held the bats in check in what was a pitcher’s duel through the early portions of the game.
Tevanae Tate sparked the scoring with a solo shot to right field to lead off the bottom of the fifth, putting the Lady Tigers ahead 1-0.
The lone run was all that Reyes would need, as the freshman hurler closed the deal from that point, stymieing the Lady Bulldogs’ lineup the rest of the way.
With the win, Texas Southern advances to play Prairie View A&M with the second slot in the 2019 SWAC Softball Tournament Finals on the line in a rematch from last year’s second semifinals. First pitch is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, with the winner going on to face Alabama State for the title at 2 p.m. Both contests are set to be broadcast on the SWAC Digital Network.
Key Stats
- Reyes struck out six batters for her second win of the tournament.
- AAMU’s Lopez allowed two hits in her 6.0 innings of work, allowing two walks.
- Tate accounted for both TSU hits in the game.
- Danielle Hansell had the lone hit for Alabama A&M, whose season ends with a 24-18 mark and a single-season school record for wins.
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.
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www.swac.org.