MONTGOMERY, Ala. – A pair of runs in the second and the sixth innings, combined with a solid pitching performance, shut down Alabama A&M (1-3, 0-0 SWAC) as rival Alabama State (1-5, 0-0 SWAC) came away with a 4-0 victory in an NCAA Division I softball game on Saturday, February 20. The game was the Bulldogs final of ASU's Black and Gold Tournament.
Following a scoreless first inning, the Hornets would strike first as Jamaica Flowers poked a one out single to short and then promptly stole second. Aishja Wilcher then doubled her home with a rip down the left field line to make it 1-0. With two outs, Wilcher would be the one to steal a bag, taking third and then coming home on a single by Jaeda Gardner for a 2-0 lead.
It would stay that way over the next three innings as both teams settled, with both clubs having just two hits during that time. A&M would mount a two-out rally in the top of the sixth with a single by freshman pitcher
Esperanza Coe (Beaumont, Calif.) and a double to left from senior outfielder
Dorian Edwards (Cobb County, Ga.) but could not pay it off as ASU got out of the jam with a fly ball out.
The Hornets, however, would be able to capitalize in their half of the inning as a one out single and double set it up for Flowers to single to short, scoring Kaley Anthony and making it 3-0. Wilcher then reached on an error on a ball to left, bringing home Arianna Atchley to reach what would be the final margin of 4-0, a score that would be locked in with three straight outs in the top of the seventh.
Alabama A&M would produce five hits on the day, three of them doubles by junior first baseman
Rachael McKinney (Birmingham, Ala.), freshman shortstop
Serena Herbranson (Hemet, Calif.) and Edwards. Sophomore second baseman
Taylor Woods (Decatur, Ala.) and Coe had the only other hits while junior pitcher
Alyssa Lopez (San Leandro, Calif.) threw all six innings, allowing 10 hits and four runs, three earned. She falls to 0-2 on the season.
Wilcher led Alabama State with a 2-for-3 day that saw her rope a double and triple while driving in one and coming around to score while Flowers finished with the same line but with a pair of singles. Gardner went 1-for-2 with an RBI to round out the offense and Skyler Sullivan went the distance in the circle, striking out eight and scattering five hits over seven innings. She improves to 1-2 in 2021.
The Bulldogs are back in action next weekend when they head to Macon, Georgia for the Black & Orange Challenge. Hosted by Mercer, they will face the Bears and Toledo on Friday, February 26 and Saturday, February 27 in a pair of contests each day.
