NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Freshman outfielder Allyson Riches (San Diego, Calif.) laced a pair of doubles and helped key a 5-2 Alabama A&M (11-22, 5-12 SWAC) victory at Tennessee State (12-31, 3-14 OVC) with three RBIs in an NCAA Division I softball game on Tuesday, April 19.
 
The teams would combine for just one hit over the first two innings, that being a first inning single by freshman outfielder Tatianna Roman (Cypress, Calif.). That would change in the top of the third, however, as the Bulldogs plated a pair of runs on three hits with sophomore second baseman Lauryn Gross (Huntsville, Ala.) coming home on a double steal with Roman.
 
The latter would then make it 2-0 when Riches doubled down the left field line before a groundout and strikeout ended the threat. TSU would not get their first hit until the bottom of the fourth and would put runners on first and third with an error before A&M got out of the jam on a grounder and pop up.
 
A single and an error in the fifth led to Bulldogs on second and third with two outs but a groundout kept the margin at two. It would be a key play as neither team would score in the inning but the Tigers would break through in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Back-to-back singles steals of second and third by Jasmine Brown and Ryla Traylor, respectively, made it second and third with no outs. Peyton Fointno would then lofted a sacrifice fly to center to score Brown and cut the deficit to 2-1.
 
Following a pitching change, TSU would notch an infield single to put runners on first and third and a wild pitch then scored Traylor to tie it up. A strikeout registered the second out before Anayah Baker stole third on a Mikayla Duke walk and Kayli Mothershed walked to load the bases. Facing the prospect of giving up the lead late, senior pitcher Alyssa Lopez (San Leandro, Calif.) struck out the next batter to maintain the deadlock.
 
A&M would take full advantage of a Tigers' pitching change heading into the seventh as a fielder's choice by Gross and a single by Roman put a pair of runners on with one out. Both would then swipe a bag on a double steal and race home on another double by Riches, this one staking the Bulldogs to a 4-2 lead.
 
They would not be done either as they loaded the bases with a fielder's choice, single and walk in short order. Sophomore shortstop Serena Herbranson (Hemet, Calif.) then legged out a bunt to bring home a third run in the inning and expand the lead by that margin. Tennessee State would choke off any further runs with a fly out but could do nothing in the bottom of the inning as three straight groundouts wrapped up the 5-2 victory.
 
Fointno had the one RBI on the day for TSU and Traylor went 2-for-3 with a run scored while Baker had the only other hit. In the circle, Raven Loveless went six innings, allowing just two earned runs but Francys King surrendered three earned runs in her one inning of work to fall to 2-9.
 
Riches led the way for A&M with a 2-for-4 day that was marked by a pair of doubles and three RBIs while Herbranson had the only other RBI. Gross and Roman would each swipe two bags with the latter going 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Freshman outfielder Da'Nijah Wade (Columbia, Tenn.) rounded out the offense with a 2-for-3 day.
 
Freshman pitcher Paige Scott (Surrey, British Columbia, Canada) started and went 5.1 innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out six before Lopez relieved her for the final 1.2 innings. In that time she struck out two and gave up just one hit to pick up the win and move to 4-6.
 
The Bulldogs return to Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play when they head to Jackson, Mississippi for a three-game set with Jackson State. Game 1 is set for 5 p.m. on Friday, April 22 with the doubleheader portion set for 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 23.