JACKSON, Miss. – Alabama A&M softball split the final two games of their weekend conference series against Jackson State on Saturday, taking a 5-4 win in the first game of the day, before falling 9-8 in the series finale at the JSU Softball Field.

Alabama A&M 5, Jackson State 4 (8 Inn.)
The Bulldogs got on the board first, as Taylor Woods was hit by a pitch and was followed by a double to center field from Imani Mathis. Taylor scored on the next at-bat on an error from the Tigers. A&M took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third, on a one out solo bomb from Venice Sanders for her team leading 10th homer of the season.

Jackson State responded to end the shutout in the bottom of the third with a home run of their own, before taking the lead with another pair of runs in the fifth to go up 3-2.

Woods drove in the next score for Alabama A&M in the sixth to tie the game that would later go into extras. The Bulldogs regained the lead in the top of the eighth, with an RBI single from Faith Cross and groundout from Mathis to take a 5-3 edge.

JSU added a run on a two-out single to center field to cut the lead to a single run, however Paige Scott (6-3) forced a groundout to conclude the game on the next at-bat for the win. Scott worked all eight innings, allowing four runs on six hits and striking out three. Cross led the way offensively for A&M, recording two hits and driving in two runs in the win.  

Jackson State 9, Alabama A&M 8 (9 Inn.)
Zahria Jones led the Bulldogs with three hits in the second game, along with scoring a pair of runs and driving in a run in the loss for the second extra-inning game of the day.

The scoring for A&M starting in the opening inning as they again took an early lead. Jones drove in Allyson Riches, who singled to start the game, for the first score followed by two consecutive scores off errors.

Jackson State got on the board in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI single, however A&M responded with a run of their own in the second on an RBI double from Sanders. After giving up another score off an error, the Tigers scored two runs in the three in the third and another in the fifth to tie the game at 5-5

The Bulldogs took the lead once more at 6-5 when Serena Herbranson brought home Callia Rooks on a groundout, before seeing the game tied again heading into the seventh. A&M went up 8-6 heading into the bottom of the seventh, scoring the first off an error and a RBI triple form Woods.

After second the second game into extras with an RBI single and triple, the Tigers later took the win to close the series with a single to left field to drive home the final run for the 9-8 win in the ninth.

Krista Sykes started the game in the circle, followed by appearances from Sydney Hall (3.1 IP) and Paige Scott (4.1 IP). Both Jones and Riches earned three hits in the loss, as the Bulldogs recorded 10 total hits and left seven runners on base.

Alabama A&M returns home next weekend as they host Florida A&M for the back half of the home-and-home series. First pitch on Friday is set for 12 p.m. at the Bulldog Softball Field.

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