PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – It would be a tale of two games as Alabama A&M (6-10, 3-3 SWAC) dropped a doubleheader to Prairie View A&M (4-8, 4-2 SWAC), falling by scores of 14-11 and 2-1, in a pair of NCAA Division I softball games on Saturday, March 27.
 
GAME 1: PRAIRIE VIEW 14, ALABAMA A&M 11
The Bulldogs would pick up right where they left off in the middle game of the series as junior first baseman Olivia Simon (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) belted a homerun as the second batter of the game for the early lead. That narrow advantage would turn into a commanding 8-0 margin in the top of the next inning, however.
 
That frame would see junior first baseman Rachael McKinney (Birmingham, Ala.) power a two-run shot, Simon rip a two-RBI double to the right centerfield gap and freshman designated player Esperanza Coe (Beaumont, Calif.) hammered a three-run bomb with two outs to fuel the seven-run inning.
 
Following that inning A&M would see the bats go silent and PVAMU picked up an RBI double from Kimberly Hernandez in the home half of the fourth to cut it to 8-1. Following a top of the fifth in which the Bulldogs had runners on second and third with no outs before hitting into a double play, the Panthers did more than just cut into the lead – they would take it.
 
That would come about in the bottom of the fifth as Prairie View pounded out nine hits, including five for extra bases, and 12 runs. That rally was highlighted by a grand slam by Maddison Parker and a two-run shot from Serena Antone and flipped the script to 13-8 Panthers.
 
Despite that devastating rally, the Bulldogs came right back as they notched a run on an error before Coe blasted her second homerun of the day, this one a two-run job that cut the deficit to 13-11. In the bottom half of the inning, however, PVAMU's Gabrielle Fonseca powered a solo shot to extend to a three-run lead.
 
Faced with adversity, A&M used a pair of singles sandwiched around a pair of outs to get runners on second and third to bring the tying run to the plate. Their rally would end there, however, as Mya Hall got the strikeout to lock up the come-from-behind 14-11 decision.
 
Coe would power the Bulldogs offense with a 2-for-4 day that included a pair of homers and five RBIs while Simon was 2-for-4 with a blast of her own, a double, three RBIs and two runs scored. McKinney tacked on a homerun as part of a 2-for-3, two RBI day and freshman shortstop Serena Herbranson (Hemet, Calif.) added an RBI and a pair of runs scored. Junior pitcher Alyssa Lopez (San Leandro, Calif.) went 5.1 innings, allowing nine earned runs to fall to 1-4.
 
Parker's grand slam gave her four RBIs to lead Prairie View while Hernandez was an impressive 4-for-4 with two doubles and a pair of RBIs. Antone and Fonseca each had homeruns, with the former good for two RBIs, and Bianca Cruz added a pair of RBIs as well. Hailey Salinas threw 4.1 innings in relief and to move to 1-0 on the season.
 
NOTES
The four homeruns by the Bulldogs equals the most since the program hit four against South Carolina State on March 2, 2013.
 
GAME 2: PRAIRIE VIEW 2, ALABAMA A&M 1
As is so often the case following heavy run production in the opener, the second game would be the complete opposite as the teams combined for just three runs.
 
The clubs would manage just one hit between them over the first two and a half innings before PVAMU built a run with a walk, bunt single, sacrifice bunt and sac fly for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third. That margin would hold up until the top of the fifth when the Bulldogs managed some two out production.
 
Following a flyout and strikeout to start the inning A&M got back-to-back singles and advanced those runners to second and third. From there, senior outfielder Ariel McAtee (Smyrna, Tenn.) singled down the left field line to tie it up at 1-1.
 
That stalemate would change in the bottom of the sixth, however, as a single and fly out set the stage for Hernandez, who doubled to right center to bring in the go-ahead run. The Bulldogs would have their opportunity to tie it up, however, as a one out walk and bunt single in the seventh would be wiped away as the Panthers turned a game-ending double play to escape with the 2-1 victory.
 
McAtee would manage one of the Bulldogs four hits and their only RBI while freshman outfielder Aleigha Harrison (Fort Smith, Ark.) scored that run in a pinch running role. Coe would start and pitch all six innings, allowing a pair of earned runs and scattering five hits to suffer the loss and fall to 4-3.
 
Brianna Grays and Hernandez produced the only RBIs for PVAMU and no player had more than one as the offense was held down. Mya Hall threw all seven innings, giving up just the one run, striking out three and seeing only four hits on her ledger. She improves to 2-2 on the year.
 
The Bulldogs return to action when they take on Tennessee State in a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday, March 31. First pitch is slated for 12 p.m. at Bulldog Field.