THE HILL | The Alabama A&M softball team battled throughout the afternoon, but a late offensive surge from Jackson State resulted in a 18-9 loss on Friday afternoon at Bulldog Field.
Jackson State jumped out to an early lead, scoring six runs in the opening inning behind a three-run homer and additional RBI hits to take early control. Alabama A&M responded in the bottom half of the inning, capitalizing on a throwing error to plate two runs and trim the deficit.
The Bulldogs continued to chip away at the lead in the second inning when Kali Austerman launched a solo home run, cutting the margin to 6-3. Jackson State answered with two runs in the third, but Alabama A&M mounted a strong response in the bottom half. RBI singles from Akyndra Montalvo and Lily Calderon, followed by a two-run single from Mariah Solorio, pulled the Bulldogs within one at 8-7.
Alabama A&M completed the comeback in the fourth inning when Jaliyah Grigsby delivered an RBI single, bringing home Josefina Lacalle to tie the game at 8-8 and shift momentum in favor of the Bulldogs.
Both teams remained locked in the tie until the seventh inning when Jackson State erupted for 10 runs on nine hits to regain control of the contest. Alabama A&M managed to push across one run in the bottom half on an RBI single from Kaylee Tatum, but the rally fell short as the Tigers secured the win.
Offensively, the Bulldogs recorded 14 hits in the game. Kali Austerman led the way with three hits including a home run and a triple, while Ariana Montiel added two hits at the top of the lineup. Lily Calderon, Kali Austerman, and Kaylee Tatum each drove in a run as Alabama A&M continued to apply pressure throughout the contest.
In the circle, Kaylee Tatum, Kara Burman, McKenna Furnari, and Dylann Rambally all saw action for Alabama A&M, with Burman taking the loss.
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The Bulldogs will remain home to host a doubleheader against Jackson State at the Bulldog Softball Field on Saturday, March 14th. First pitch is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
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