Box Score

GULFPORT, Miss.- Alabama State and Texas Southern found themselves in a pitcher's duel until a timely hit and run put the Lady Hornets on the board and they held on for a 2-0 victory at the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Championship Tournament Wednesday afternoon.

Alabama State (17-27) and Texas Southern were scoreless until the top of the sixth inning when Kindall DeRamus led off the inning with a perfectly placed bunt right in front of the plate and beat the throw to first. On the very next pitch, Jazmine Dodd punched the ball past a drawn-in infield on a hit-and-run and reached third with a triple that scored DeRamus for the 1-0 lead.

The Lady Hornets didn't stop there as Alex Massie singled through the right side, almost the exact same spot as Dodd, driving her in for the 2-0 lead.

And that was all Skyler Sullivan needed. The senior induced a pair of ground balls and a line out in the sixth and followed that up with a strike out and fly out in the seventh before a pair of hitters reached for Texas Southern. However, Sullivan ended the game by getting a strikeout looking for the final out to push Alabama State into the winner's bracket.

Sullivan (16-9) pitched a complete game, scattering eight hits and striking out eight in the win – her second consecutive of the tournament. She also did not allow a walk during the contest. DeRamus led Alabama State at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 with a run scored, while Kaley Anthony (2-for-4) and Destinee Dixon (2-for-3) each picked up multiple hits for the Lady Hornets who had 11 on the day.

Alabama State will face Southern on Thursday afternoon at 2:00 pm at the Gulfport Sportsplex. The winner advances to the Friday championship game where they will need to be beat twice, while the loser drops into an early Friday morning game in the loser's bracket.

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.