LORMAN, Miss. – The Alcorn State and Texas Southern softball teams renewed their rivalry on Friday at the Alcorn Softball Complex. The opener of the three-game weekend series was a closely contested game that forced an extra inning. After tying the game 1-1 in the third, putting another run on the board was an all-out battle. The Lady Tigers finally grabbed a second run in the top of the eighth for the 2-1 victory over the Lady Braves.
With it being a Friday game, both teams sent their aces to the circle, and both lived up to their status as they each pitched 8.0 strong innings.
Alcorn's Alexa Veamoi was on the unfortunate downside of the decision, as she was credited with the pitching loss. The Lady Tigers saw seven hits against her for two runs, one earned. Despite that, she faced 34 batters and delivered three strikeouts with only one walk.
Through the first two innings, Veamoi dominated with a strikeout in each frame, leaving Texas Southern hitless. The game changed in the third as the Lady Tigers were able to score the game's first run in the top of the inning.
Texas Southern lead-off hitter Destinee Dixon connected for a double to left center to be the first Lady Tiger to reach base. A sacrifice bunt put Dixon on third, and a sacrifice fly brought her home to give TSU the 1-0 advantage.
Alcorn State answered at the bottom of the frame. With two outs, Kennedy Terry walked to first and stole second. Kristian Edwards connected for her 18th hit of the season, singling to left field, to score Terry for the RBI, and to lock the board at 1-1.
The two teams ran out of regulation innings to battle it out in an extra frame. Texas Southern's at-bat in the eighth proved fruitful. Angel Morales reached base on an error by the first baseman, and a sacrifice bunt put her on second. Nya Leday-Johnson entered the contest to pinch run for Morales, showing her speed in the last leg of the game. Jayda Carter connected for a single to left field, and Leday-Johnson cleared the last two bases for the run and the 2-1 victory.
The Lady Braves had one more chance at the plate in the bottom. Unfortunately, two ground outs and a foul out ended the contest.
The two teams will return to the Alcorn Softball Complex tomorrow, Saturday, March 25, for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
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About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country. Currently, it 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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