Box Score
Normal- In the final game of a three game series with the visiting Lady Tigers of Jackson State, the Maroon & White softball team fell in extra innings.
The Lady Bulldogs and Lady Tiger’s split games one and two of Friday’s doubleheader, and game three would be a winner takes all contest. JSU eventually took game three, 9-7 in nine innings to capture a 2-1 conference series victory.
The first two innings were scoreless as neither team could breakthrough and get on the scoreboard. Things changed in the third inning. The Lady Bulldogs fell behind after giving up four runs. Raveen Palmer, Jasmine Warren, Tatyana Givens and Tayler Nave each scored for JSU.
A&M plated a run of their own in the bottom of the third inning. Brianna Zeigler crossed home plate after JSU’s starting pitcher Breea Jamerson delivered a bases loaded walk to Meaghan Gray immediately after intentionally walking Jasmin Riley. The inning ended with the Maroon & White trailing 4-1.
The A&M defense held the Tiger’s to a third scoreless inning at the top of the fourth, giving themselves another opportunity to chip away at the lead. In the bottom of the fourth, A&M had their best offensive output of the day tallying four runs.
Fayesha Ward started things off, collecting an RBI single that scored LaQueesha Poe. Immediately following the Ward's RBI, Anisa Britt brought in two runs on another Maroon & White single. JSU’s Jamerson found herself in another tough spot, as she gave up the lead and again loaded the bases. With the score tied at four, Nicole Norton approached the plate. After falling behind in the count, Norton was hit by a pitch allowing her to reach base and allowing Riley to score the go-ahead run. Jamerson was able to strike out the next Maroon & White batter and end the inning trailing 5-4.
The Lady Tigers came out swinging to start the fifth. JSU collected three runs to regain the lead after RBI's from Lauren Aikens and Felicia Wilson (2). Meaghan Gray, in the circle for A&M, was then able to get out of the inning after allowing three runs.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Lady Tiger’s made numerous defensive changes, shuffling their fielders and most notably substituting their pitcher. Jasmine Warren would now pitch to close out the game for JSU. Warren struggled a bit initially, and gave up two runs in the inning.
Jasmine Riley, after being intentionally walked her last two at bats, would see a challenge from Warren. Warren opted to pitch to Riley and suffered the consequences that were feared by her counterpart Jamerson. Riley took a pitch and singled to centerfield to score two and again tie the game. With the score at 7-7, Warren was able to end the inning without hurting the JSU campaign further.
With the intensity increased, and neither team willing to give up, the game would enter extra innings, as both defenses remained unblemished in the final two periods of regulation. The eighth inning was no different, neither team could break the 7-7 tie and the inning ended. In the top of the ninth things finally changed. The Lady Tigers rallied to score two runs to regain the lead at 9-7. This proved to be the game winning rally, as the Lady Bulldogs could not answer with runs of their own in the bottom of the inning.
JSU went on to win the extended game 9-7, and take the series 2-1 over the Maroon & White.
A&M fell to 4-4 in conference play, and will return to action April 3rd when they take on Miles College in a doubleheader in Birmingham, Ala.
