JACKSON, Miss. | The Alabama A&M University softball team closed out play at the River City Classic on Sunday as the Bulldogs defeated Dallas Christian, 11-8, before falling to Grambling State in a slugfest, 15-12, at the JSU Softball Complex.
Game 1 – Alabama A&M 11, Dallas Christian 8
The Bulldogs (3-1) erased an early four-run deficit with four runs in the second inning, highlighted by
Ariana Montiel's bases-clearing triple to center that plated three.
Kali Austerman followed with a sacrifice fly to knot the game at 4–4.
Dallas Christian regained the lead with three runs in the third, but Alabama A&M answered right back in the fourth.
Josefina Lacalle delivered the big blow, ripping a three-run triple to right to even the score at 7–7 before
Lily Calderon drove in the go-ahead run on a groundout, giving the Bulldogs an 8–7 advantage.
The Bulldogs continued to pressure the defense in the fifth.
Austerman tripled to right and then stole home, while
Bailey Webb added an RBI double to push the lead to 10–7. After Dallas Christian scratched across a run in the sixth, Alabama A&M added insurance on another Austerman sacrifice fly to cap the scoring.
Montiel finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, including a double and triple, while Lacalle drove in three on her triple. Austerman went 2-for-2 with two RBIs, scored twice and stole home. Webb added a pair of hits and an RBI, and
Tori Green scored twice and swiped a base.
In the circle,
McKenna Furnari started and worked three innings before
Kara Burman earned the win in relief, allowing just one run on two hits over four innings with two strikeouts to close it out.
Game 2 – Grambling State 15, Alabama A&M 12
The Bulldogs erupted early, sending 13 hitters to the plate in the opening frame.
Josefina Lacalle opened the scoring with a two-run double, followed by RBI hits from
Hannah Wyroski and
Akyndra Montalvo, while
Bailey Webb and
Kara Burman each drove in runs as Alabama A&M raced out to an 8–0 advantage.
Grambling State responded with four runs in the bottom of the first and continued to chip away, tying the game at 8–8 in the second inning. Alabama A&M briefly regained the lead in the third on an RBI single by
Kali Austerman, but the Tigers answered with a five-run bottom of the inning to seize control.
The Bulldogs showed resilience in the fifth, scoring three runs highlighted by
Ariana Montiel's RBI single and Austerman's two-run home run to cut the deficit to 15–11. Alabama A&M added one more run in the frame but was unable to complete the comeback over the final two innings.
Montiel paced the Bulldogs offensively, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Austerman finished a perfect 4-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored, while Montalvo added two hits and two RBIs. Alabama A&M totaled 16 hits in the contest and scored in four different innings.
Lacalle surrendered four runs on one hits, with five walks and one strikeout, while
Dylann Rambally (1-1) pitched two innings and
McKenna Furnari 3.1 innings in relief.
UP NEXT
Alabama A&M returns to action Friday with two games at the HBCU Tournament in Covington, Ga. The Bulldogs will meet Howard in the opener at 10 a.m., followed by a 2:30 p.m. contest against Fort Valley State.
For complete coverage of Alabama A&M Athletics – Huntsville's only Division I program - check out the official homepage at www.aamusports.com. Remember to follow us on social media: Instagram (@aamuathletics), Facebook (aamubulldogathletics), Twitter (@_aamuathletics) and TikTok (aamuathletics).
