THE HILL | The Alabama A&M University softball team could not recover from an 11-run sixth inning as the Bulldogs fell, 21-5, to Western Illinois on Wednesday afternoon at the Bulldog Baseball Field.
The Leathernecks (3-7) jumped out early, plating three runs in the first inning and adding four more in the second, highlighted by a three-run home run from Payton Brown and a solo shot by Ruby Tarr to take a 7-0 lead.
Western Illinois extended the lead to 9-0 in the third before Alabama A&M responded in the bottom of the fourth.
After drawing back-to-back walks to open the inning, the Bulldogs manufactured runs with productive at-bats. A. Montiel lifted a sacrifice fly to center to score
Destiny King, and
Kali Austerman followed with an RBI single. Ariana Montalvo then doubled to left center to trim the deficit to 9-3.
Paula Ocrospoma provided a spark in the fifth inning with a solo home run to left field, and Austerman added another solo shot in the sixth as Alabama A&M continued to battle at the plate.
Austerman led the Bulldogs with two hits, including her home run and two RBI, while Ocrospoma finished with two hits and an RBI. Montalvo added a double and an RBI, and T. Green and
Jaliyah Grigsby each recorded two hits in the contest.
In the circle,
Kara Burman took the loss after allowing seven runs in 1.2 innings.
Dylann Rambally and
McKenna Furnari provided relief appearances as the Bulldogs used four pitchers in the game.
UP NEXT
Alabama A&M returns to the road this weekend as the Bulldogs will play in the HBCU Softball Classic in Montgomery, Ala. AAMU will play Claflin and Miles on Friday, Bluefield State and Lincoln (PA) on Saturday and conclude the weekend against Grambling State on Sunday.
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