COVINGTON, Ga. | The Alabama A&M University softball team opened play at the HBCU Tournament on Friday, falling 11-1 to Howard in five innings and dropping a heartbreaker to Fort Valley State, 7-6.
Game 1 – Howard 11, Alabama A&M 1 (5 innings)
Alabama A&M (3-3) threatened in the top of the first inning when
Ariana Montiel singled to center field, but Howard starter Destiny Calloway worked out of trouble with back-to-back strikeouts and a groundout to keep the Bulldogs off the scoreboard.
Howard answered immediately in the bottom half of the inning as Taylor Ames-Alexander launched a two-run home run to center field, giving the Bison a 2-0 advantage. The Bulldogs limited further damage, but Howard carried the momentum into the second inning.
In the second, Howard extended the lead to 5-0 when Ames-Alexander connected on her second home run of the game, a three-run blast to center field. The Bison continued to swing hot bats in the third inning, adding two runs on a home run by Aniyah Whipper and another solo shot by Merci Hart to push the margin to 8-0.
Howard added three more runs in the fourth inning, highlighted by a three-run homer from Angel Riggins to make the score 11-0.
Alabama A&M broke through in the top of the fifth inning as
Bailey Webb sparked the rally with a double to right field before
Kaylee Tatum delivered an RBI single to right, bringing Webb home to cut the deficit to 11-1. However, the Bulldogs were unable to string together additional offense as Howard closed out the contest.
Game 2 – Fort Valley State 6, Alabama A&M 5
Alabama A&M struck first in the opening inning.
Ariana Montiel singled to right and
Kali Austerman followed with a base hit to put runners at the corners.
Jaliyah Grigsby grounded out to third, bringing home Montiel for the early 1-0 advantage
Fort Valley State answered in the third, capitalizing on a hit-by-pitch and an error to plate two unearned runs and take a 2-1 lead.
The Bulldogs evened the score in the fourth. After Grigsby drew a walk and
Kailee Gilbert stole second,
Josefina Lacalle singled to right. Paula Ocrosopoma reached on a fielding error by the right fielder, allowing Gilbert to score and knot the game at 2.
Fort Valley State regained control in the bottom half, using another pair of defensive miscues to score two unearned runs for a 4-2 advantage and the Wildcats added a run in the fifth to extend the margin to 5-2.
Alabama A&M responded in the sixth.
Ahkeela Honeycutt doubled to left and stole third before scoring on an error off the bat of Grigsby. Later in the inning, Ocrosopoma delivered an RBI single to right to trim the deficit to 5-4.
In the seventh, the Bulldogs rallied again. Austerman doubled to center, and after a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, Ocrosopoma drew a walk to force in the tying run and make it 5-5.
However, in the bottom of the seventh, Fort Valley State capitalized on a hit-by-pitch and a sacrifice bunt before Mariah Williams delivered a two-out RBI single to right field to score the game-winning run and seal the 6-5 decision.
Inside the Box Score
Ocrosopoma led the Bulldogs with three RBIs, finishing 1-for-3 with a walk. Grigsby drove in two runs, while Austerman and Honeycutt each recorded two hits. Honeycutt added a double and a stolen base as Alabama A&M totaled eight hits on the afternoon
In the circle,
Dylann Rambally tossed four innings, allowing four runs (one earned).
McKenna Furnari took the loss after giving up two runs over 2.2 innings of relief.
UP NEXT
Alabama A&M returns to action with Day 2 of the HBCU Tournament on Saturday with a pair of games, starting at 10 a.m. against South Carolina State, followed by a 2:30 p.m. matchup against Coppin State.
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