MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama A&M (1-1, 0-0 SWAC) split a pair of games on the opening day of the 2021 season as they knocked off rival Alabama State (0-5, 0-0 SWAC) by an 8-6 score before falling to Tennessee-Martin (2-0, 0-0 OVC) 8-0 in NCAA Division I women's softball action at ASU's Black and Gold Tournament on Friday, February 19.
 
Game 1 – Alabama A&M 8, Alabama State 6
Taking on their arch rival to start the season, the Bulldogs were more than equal to the task as they pounded out 12 hits in an 8-6 victory.
 
Following a pair of scoreless innings by both teams, A&M would explode for four runs in the top of the third as they produced five hits and benefited from an error to take a 4-0 lead. With one out senior catcher Haleigh Winter (Huntsville, Ala.) roped a double to left and was then singled over to third on sophomore second baseman Taylor Woods' (Decatur, Ala.) hit.
 
Winter came around to score on a throwing error while Taylor stole second, a play that put her in position to come home on a single by freshman shortstop Serena Herbranson (Hemet, Calif.) in the next at bat. Up 2-0, Alabama A&M would add to that as junior left fielder Olivia Simon (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) doubled to right center, and with two outs, hit home plate on a single up the middle by freshman pitcher Esperanza Coe (Beaumont, Calif.) for the fourth run of the inning.
 
The Bulldogs found themselves in immediate trouble in the bottom half of the inning as a leadoff walk, infield single and hit by pitch loaded the bases. Coe battled back, inducing a pop out before a single to left by ASU's Morgan Gaither brought home a run to cut it to 4-1. Jazmine Dodd then grounded out to first to bring home a second run and a passed ball scored Kindall DeRamus in the next at bat to cut the deficit to 4-3.
 
In the immortal words of Casey Kasem, the hits just kept on coming in the fourth inning as Alabama A&M took advantage of a leadoff single and a walk before Winter laced a ball down the right field line to score junior first baseman Rachael McKinney (Birmingham, Ala.) and Woods put one to right to score junior centerfielder Alyssa Lopez (San Leandro, Calif.) to extend the lead to 6-3.
 
The Bulldogs weren't done yet as Woods kept the pressure on, stealing second in advance of a Herbranson single that brought home Winter to make it 7-3 before three straight outs closed out the frame.
 
The Hornets would go down 1-2-3 in the next two innings, as did A&M in the fifth, before a Lopez single and advance to second on an error got things started in the sixth. A sac bunt moved her over to third and she came around to score on a rare foul fly, this one to the right fielder who caught in foul territory instead of letting it drop. That allowed Lopez to come home and make it 8-4 before the Hornets closed out the inning.
 
Gaither leadoff the bottom of the sixth with a single and was followed by a Dodd double to left center to put runners on second and third with no outs. Coe bore down, however, getting pinch hitter Elizabeth Williams swinging and Jamaica Flowers on a first pitch groundout. Following an error that made it first and third she got out of the inning on another grounder to preserve the four run lead.
 
Despite a double by Coe and an advance to third on a wild pitch, the Bulldogs were unable to add an insurance run in the top of the seventh. They nearly needed it despite consecutive outs by ASU to start the bottom of the inning. Alex Massie singled up the middle to keep the Hornets hopes alive and Gaither buoyed them with a two run blast to center that cut the deficit in half at 8-6. That would be the final margin a batter later, however, as Coe got Dodd to fly out for the season opening victory.
 
Herbranson led the way for A&M with a 3-for-4 day and a pair of RBIs while Coe helped her own cause with a 2-for-4 outing with a double and RBI. Woods notched a pair of steals in her 2-for-3 effort and Winter was 2-for-2 with a pair of runs and an RBI. Coe went the distance, pitching seven innings and striking out seven while allowing six runs, five earned, to move to 1-0 on the year.
 
Gaither paved the way for much of the Hornets offense as she went 3-for-4 with a homerun, three RBIs and a pair of runs scored. She was joined by Dodd with two RBIs and a steal while Madison Myers finished 2-of-4 with a run scored. Myers started and got knocked out after three innings of four run, four strikeout ball and falls to 0-2 on the season. Vanessa Bradford pitched the final four innings, allowing four runs, three earned, and striking out a pair.
 
Game 2 – UT-Martin 8, Alabama A&M 0
It would be a very different story against UT-Martin as the Skyhawks jumped out to the early lead before posting an 8-0 victory.
 
That would start in the first inning but it would come after the first two batters lined out and grounded out, respectively. From there, however, it would be all UTM as Paige Clark lined a double before coming around to score on a throwing error on the next play to make it 1-0. Kaitlyn Kelley came around to score on a throwing error following a stolen base by Shyanne Sheffield who would then cross home plate on a single by Aalia Bivens for a 3-0 advantage.
 
With the bases loaded on a double and a walk, Maddi Long singled home a pair of runs with a shot down the leftfield line and Kaci Fuller drove a triple to the right center gap to clear the bases and extend to a 7-0 lead before the Bulldogs got out of the inning on a fly out on the next batter.
 
Both team's bats would then be silent over the next three and a half innings as they combined for three hits, two by A&M. The damage was already done, however, and the Skyhawks would use it to shorten the game in the fifth inning, once again with two outs.
 
Following a pop up and a groundout to start the inning, Gracie Lusk tripled to right and then scored on a single by Long in the next at bat. A groundout would then close out the inning but not before it put UTM in position to close out the game in the bottom half of the frame, something they would do in 1-2-3 fashion to put the finishing touches on an 8-0 decision.
 
Freshman third baseman Shalin Charles (Fayettville, Ark.) led the Bulldogs with a 1-for-2 outing that included a double while Simon had the only other hit, also going 1-for-2 on the day. Lopez pitched all five innings, allowing eight runs but only one earned and struck out three to drop to 0-1 on the year.
 
Long led the way for the Skyhawks with a 2-for-3 day that included three RBIs and a run scored and Fuller tripled for her one hit, driving in two. Bivens had the only other RBI and Hannah Ridolfi pitched four innings, allowing two hits and striking out three to move to 1-0.
 
The Bulldogs wrap up their season opening tournament tomorrow, Saturday, February 20 as they take on UT-Martin and ASU at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.