JACKSON, Miss. – Alabama A&M (11-23, 5-13 SWAC) could not recover from four first inning runs as Jackson State (19-21, 10-8 SWAC) notched a 6-3 victory in an NCAA Division I softball game on Friday, April 22.
 
After allowing just a hit-by-pitch in the top of the first, the Tigers would go to work in the home half of the inning. In that frame they used the "1,000 tiny papercuts" approach as they used four singles, three walks and a steal to bring home four runs. Half of those scored on bases loaded walks right before freshman Paige Scott (Surrey, British Columbia, Canada) came in got a strikeout and groundout to end the threat.
 
Bulldog pitching would then limit JSU to just one hit over the next two innings while the top of the third would see A&M mount a two-out rally. Back-to-back infield singles by sophomore second baseman Lauryn Gross (Huntsville, Ala.) and freshman outfielder Tatianna Roman (Cypress, Calif.), paired with a walk by freshman outfielder Allyson Riches (San Diego, Calif.), loaded the bases only to see the Tigers escape with a fielder's choice.
 
It would stay that way until the fifth when Roman reached on a throwing error from third with one out and Riches promptly followed it up with a hard double to left center to cut the deficit to 4-1. Consecutive outs then set JSU up for the bottom of the inning, a frame that saw them score a pair with two outs. The last of those came on a Mari Stephens triple to make it 6-1.
 
Alabama A&M would hold the Tigers scoreless in the sixth and then knock back-to-back one-out singles in the top of the seventh. Junior catcher Brooklyn Wallace (Hartselle, Ala.) then lofted a sacrifice fly to score a run before sophomore designated player Esperanza Coe (Beaumont, Calif.) doubled to center to cut it to 6-3. That would be as close as they would get, however, as JSU then put away the three-run victory with a groundout.
 
Isabel Gusman led the Tigers with two RBIs to go with a walk and run scored while Stephens was 2-for-3 with a run, walk and RBI. Isis Taylor, Monica Serrano and Zoey Keyes each added an RBI and Alexis Arredondo went 2-for-4. Takiya Hill went the distance in the circle, allowing two earned runs, seven hits and striking out two to improve to 8-5.
 
Riches and Coe each finished with a 2-for-3 day that included a double, walk, RBI and run to pace A&M while Wallace had the only other RBI. Senior pitcher Alyssa Lopez (San Leandro, Calif.) went just a third of an inning, allowing four earned runs to take the loss and fall to 4-7 while Scott threw 5.2 innings, holding JSU to two earned runs and struck out four.
 
The Bulldogs wrap up the series tomorrow, Saturday, April 23 with first pitch of the doubleheader portion set for 12 p.m.