MACON, Ga. – Alabama A&M (1-7, 0-0 SWAC) dropped a pair of games on the final day of the Black and Orange Classic, falling 13-1 to host Mercer (5-5, 0-0 SoCon) and 9-1 to Toledo (2-2, 0-0 MAC) in NCAA Division I softball action on Saturday, February 27.
 
Game 1: Mercer 13, Alabama A&M 1
The Bears would jump out ahead early with a pair of runs in the first inning as they scored on an error and a wild pitch before A&M answered back in the top of the second. With a runner on third, freshman pitcher Esperanza Coe (Beaumont, Calif.) singled home junior first baseman Rachael McKinney (Birmingham, Ala.) to cut it to 1-0 but they would get no closer.
 
The home half of the inning would see MU with the bases loaded and one out before Coe notched a strikeout to put the Bulldogs in a position to get out of the jam. Adele Braun would not let that happen, however, as she tripled to right to clear the bases and make it a 5-1 difference.
 
The Bears would add a run on a foul out in the bottom of the third before exploding for seven runs on seven hits in the fourth inning, a frame that would see them produce a pair of doubles, a triple and a two-run homerun for what would be the final margin of 13-1 a half inning later.
 
Coe went 1-for-2 with an RBI and pitched four innings, allowing 11 runs while junior pitcher McHaliee Danner (Bountiful, Utah) started but allowed two runs without recording an out to drop to 0-2 on the season.
 
Danielle Castleberry went 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a pair of runs scored to fuel Mercer's offensive attack and was joined by Braun with a 2-for-2 day that included a triple and four RBIs. Kylie Helm rounded out the top offensive performances as she belted a two run shot and Amber Byrd threw four innings without allowing an earned run to improve to 1-2.
 
Game 2: Toledo 9, Alabama A&M 1
Taking on the Rockets for the second time in as many days, Alabama A&M held their own through the first two innings as they scattered three hits to head to the bottom of the third scoreless. That inning would see Toledo erupt for eight runs on five hits and be aided by five errors as they took a commanding 8-0 lead by the end of the frame.
 
The Bulldogs would answer in the top of the fourth with an unearned run as sophomore second baseman Taylor Woods (Decatur, Ala.) crossed home plate on a Rockets error to cut the deficit to 8-1. However, UT would get that run right back the next inning to regain their eight run lead and put themselves in position to close things out early.
 
They would do just that in the top of the fifth, but not without a challenge from Alabama A&M. With one out, freshman shortstop Serena Herbranson (Hemet, Calif.) doubled to left center and Woods followed with a walk before Toledo turned a double play to wrap up the 9-1 victory in five innings.
 
Junior first baseman Olivia Simon (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) went 2-for-3 to lead the Bulldogs while Herbranson doubled in three at bats with a stolen base and Woods went 1-for-2 with a run scored. Junior pitcher Alyssa Lopez (San Leandro, Calif.) went all four innings, allowing nine runs but just two of them earned to fall to 0-3 on the season.
 
Aleah Marra went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI to lead the Rockets while Riley Mohr was 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs, a walk and a run. Arika Reed went 3-for-3 with a pair of runs and Jaiden Batyik finished 2-for-3 with a run. McKenna Schmidt started and went 3.1 innings, allowing just one unearned run and three hits to move to 1-0 in 2021.
 
The Bulldogs are now off until their home opener on Friday, March 19 when they open Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play against Southern. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.