GULFPORT, Miss. – No. 3 East Seed Alabama A&M (11-18, 8-10 SWAC) applied pressure over the first two innings but a lone first inning run would be the key as No. 2 West Seed Prairie View A&M (16-14, 12-6 SWAC) held on for a narrow 2-0 victory in a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Tournament and NCAA Division I softball game on Tuesday, May 11.
 
The Bulldogs would threaten right away with a leadoff double by senior outfielder Ariel McAtee (Smyrna, Tenn.) and would have first and second with one out following a walk by junior first baseman Rachael McKinney (Birmingham, Ala.).
 
An odd play on what appeared to be a walk to load the bases then instead resulted in the trail runner being called out for leaving early and PVAMU would then get out of the inning on a strikeout.
 
The Panthers' Brianna Grays would then pay off that defensive effort right away as she led off the home half of the first with a triple to the wall in the left centerfield gap and then came in to score on an error on that same play for a 1-0 lead.
 
A&M would keep applying pressure as they hit the top of the second with a walk by freshman pitcher Esperanza Coe (Beaumont, Calif.) who then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Following a strikeout sophomore shortstop Taylor Woods (Decatur, Ala.) singled to make it first and third before a caught stealing and another strikeout squelched the rally.
 
While both clubs would get runners on over the next two innings, neither would be able to capitalize until the bottom of the fifth. That frame would see PVAMU's Natalie McLennan leadoff with a single and then manage to go first to third on a sacrifice bunt before scoring on a groundout by Ryleigh Love to double the lead to 2-0.
 
After a 1-2-3 top of the sixth, the Panthers got another leadoff single and advanced the runner to scoring position on a sac bunt with one out but back-to-back pop ups to second would end the threat.
 
As they seemingly had all game, the Bulldogs would put traffic on the basepaths as Coe walked to leadoff the seventh. PVAMU then promptly cut down a pinch runner on a fielders' choice before Woods walked to bring the go-ahead run to the plate with one out. Freshman third baseman Serena Herbranson (Hemet, Calif.) lofted a deep fly ball to center for the second out before a grounder to first got the Panthers out of the jam and sealed a narrow 2-0 victory.
 
McAtee led Alabama A&M with a double as part of a 1-for-3 day while Coe earned three walks and went all six innings in the circle. With the latter she scattered seven hits and struck out four while allowing just two runs, only one of which was earned, to take the hard luck loss and fall to 9-8 on the year.
 
Grays went 2-for-3 to lead Prairie View while Love was 1-for-3 with a triple, RBI and run scored to spearhead the offensive effort. Meanwhile, Mya Hall allowed just three hits and no runs over seven innings, ringing up seven to improve to 6-7.
 
The Bulldogs now fall to the loser's bracket and will face the loser of No. 1E Jackson State or No. 4W Southern at 12 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, May 12.