#SWACSB19 Tournament Recaps: Day Two
Jackson State 2, Southern 1
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Jackson State fended off a late charge from Southern, winning 2-1 to advance in the 2019 SWAC Softball Tournament during Friday morning action.
Jackson State (13-35) struck in the opening frame as Kelsey Smith slapped a RBI single up the middle to score Sierra Smith. The Tigers added to their lead as an errant throw at first allowed K. Smith to touch home and ended up loading the bases with two outs, but Madelyn Prukop fouled out to end the inning.
The Tigers threatened to build upon their lead with two on in the sixth, but Aubrion James struck out Cheyenne Aplon and forced S. Smith to ground out and end the inning. From there, Kayla Owens put the clamps on Southern’s lineup for much of the contest until the Jaguars (9-25) mounted a final push with one out in the bottom of the seventh.
Christy Kelly drew a walk to bring the tying run to the plate, and a misplay in the field brought the winning run to the plate in James. James put one in play to center field and a fielding gaffe allowed a pinch-runner to score.
Owens fanned Mateighia Tanner for the second out of the inning, and forced Jaslyn Perrodin to ground out to end the game.
Jackson State faces the winner of the Texas Southern/Alabama State game -- which was postponed due to weather and is set to conclude Friday -- while Southern’s season comes to a close.
Key Stats
- K. Smith led the Jackson State offense, going 2-for-4 with a double and one RBI.
- Zoey Keyes also added a pair of hits for JSU.
- Owens got the win, allowing five hits and striking out four.
- James received the loss, throwing 126 pitches while allowing eight hits and one earned run with six strikeouts.
- Paytin Mercado led Southern with a pair of hits.
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Alcorn State 2, UAPB 1
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alcorn State advanced to the next round of the 2019 SWAC Softball Tournament with a 2-1 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff Friday afternoon.
After UAPB stranded a pair of runners to open the game, Alcorn State’s (14-23) Simone McKinney picked up a single and moved to third with a pair of errors. One batter later, Amari Ramsey brought McKinney home with a single. After Brooke Roach moved Ramsey to third with a single to right, Victoria Tyler singled home Ramsey to add to the Lady Braves’ lead.
The Lady Lions’ inability to cash in on scoring chances proved costly as UAPB (4-34) stranded five more runners over the ensuing three innings. UAPB finally broke through with back-to-back doubles by Alexandria Taylor and Shanice Akins, with the latter scoring the former.
After UAPB chased Alcorn State starter Paige Taylor in the top of the sixth, Ambria Dorsey came on in relief, working out of a jam where the Lady Lions had two on. Alcorn State crafted a chance of its own, loading the bases with two out, but Ramsey hit a sharp grounder to UAPB pitcher Karia Hall, who recovered for the inning-ending put out at first.
The Lady Lions made a final charge, as Akins reached on an error and moved to third on consecutive sacrifices. However, Dorsey forced Kameron Graham into an inning-ending groundout.
Alcorn State faces the winner of the Alabama A&M vs. Prairie View A&M contest tomorrow, which originally set for 3 p.m. but was rescheduled to being after the conclusion of the also postponed Alabama State/Texas Southern game.
Key Stats
- UAPB stranded 11 runners, while Alcorn State left 10 runners on base.
- The sides combined for 21 hits – 12 for Alcorn State, nine for UAPB.
- Alcorn State’s Paige Taylor got the win with a 5.1 inning effort, scattering nine hits and striking out four.
- McKinney and Brittney Triplett led Alcorn with three hits each.
- UAPB’s Alexandria Taylor had three hits with a double and a run scored.
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.