MACON, Ga. | HBCU softball program Alabama State rallied from an 8-3 deficit to knock off UConn out of the Big East conference, 10-8, and give Camise Patterson her first win as the Lady Hornets Head Coach on Sunday.

Sophomore Kohana Pouson (1-3) picked up the victory out of the bullpen for Alabama State (1-14). The right-hander went 4.1 shutout innings while giving up two hits, allowing three walks and striking out three.

Offensively, the Hornets were led by senior Leah Richardson, who went 2-for-4 on the day with a home run and two RBI. Junior JaNiyah Boykin compiled a noteworthy performance at the dish as well, going 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBI. Junior Brooke Ramsey also chipped in for Alabama State, putting together two hits in four trips to the plate while adding a double and an RBI for the HBCU.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Hornets were trailing 1-0 in the first inning when they first put runs on the board. Alabama State plated two runs when Richardson left the yard with Boykin aboard.

The Hornets lost the lead they built in the first but got back on the board in the fifth, trailing 8-2. Alabama State scored once on an RBI single off the bat of Boykin, which brought the score to 8-3 in favor of the Huskies.

Alabama State kept the Huskies off the board before rallying to snatch a 10-8 lead in the sixth. The Hornets bats heated up in the inning, scoring seven runs, including a one-run single off the bat of Boykin. The score remained 10-8 for the rest of the game as Alabama State held on for the win.

GAME NOTES

» Alabama State’s highest scoring inning was the sixth, when it pushed seven runs across.
» Four Hornets had multiple hits in the ballgame.
» The Hornets out-hit the Big East Huskies at an 11-10 clip.
» Alabama State went 4-for-7 (.571) with runners in scoring position.
» Alabama State pitchers faced 37 UConn hitters in the game, allowing eight ground balls and eight fly balls while striking out four.
» Richardson led the Hornets at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI.
» UConn was led offensively by junior Grace Jenkins, who went 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI.

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“The Astros are excited to partner with Texas Southern University as they build new baseball and softball fields. TSU students deserve the opportunity to go from playing and watching baseball at a city park to having their own stadium on campus,” said Paula Harris, Vice President of Community Affairs and Director of the Astros Foundation when the HBCU venture was announced in February of 2023. “The entire World Series-winning Astros organization is proud to be a part of the historic and monumental opportunity for Texas Southern University Baseball.”

“This partnership is a game-changer for our student-athletes. Our players already excel in the classroom as scholars.  Now they will get the facilities they deserve as athletes,” said TSU Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Kevin Granger. “I would like to thank Houston Astros Owner and Chairman Jim Crane and his executive team for their generosity and commitment to help make this project a reality for our campus and the surrounding community.”

Both facilities will be located on the corner of Cleburne and Sampson Streets which is across from the Texas Southern University East Garage and on the current site of the Yates High School Baseball/Softball Fields.

The softball stadium will have a capacity of 480 while the baseball stadium is slated to seat 1,080 spectators. Both stadiums will share a concession stand and will have locker room space for both programs along with press boxes and lighting for night contests. The baseball stadium will also feature VIP seating for 80 spectators as both stadiums are projected to officially open in the spring of 2026.
 

Both HBCU facilities will be located on the corner of Cleburne and Sampson Streets which is across from the TSU East Garage and on the current site of the Yates High School Baseball/Softball Fields.

The softball stadium will have a capacity of 480 while the baseball stadium is slated to seat 1,080 spectators. Both stadiums will share a concession stand and will have locker room space for both programs along with press boxes and lighting for night contests. The baseball stadium will also feature VIP seating for 80 spectators as both stadiums are projected to officially open in the spring of 2026.

Information on the official groundbreaking ceremony is listed below, courtesy of Texas Southern University Athletics.

WHAT: Texas Southern University Baseball/Softball Stadiums Groundbreaking
WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 3 • 11 a.m.
WHERE: Corner of Cleburne & Sampson Streets (Across from East Garage & current location of Yates High School Baseball/Softball Fields)
WHO: President James W. Crawford III, TSU Board of Regents members, TSU Administrators, Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Kevin Granger, TSU athletic staff, Houston Astros Front Office Representatives and Houston ISD Staff

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MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Alabama State University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics announced the hiring of Camise Patterson as the school’s eighth head coach on Friday, July 19, 2024. Alabama State University is a public HBCU in Montgomery, Alabama. Founded in 1867, during the Reconstruction era, it was one of about 180 “normal schools” established by state governments in the 19th century to train teachers for the rapidly growing public common schools.
 
“I am beyond excited to welcome Camise to the Bama State family,” Cable said. “What she did in a relatively short time at FAMU was remarkable. As we got to know Camise during this process, her core values, passion for the game, and the student-athlete experience directly aligned with what we want to accomplish at ASU. The future of Bama State softball is bright under her leadership.”
 
Patterson, who replaces Todd Bradley, who stepped away after five seasons for personal reasons, spent the last two seasons at the helm of SWAC East Division rival Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Fla.
 
“I am deeply honored and grateful to be the next Head Softball Coach at Alabama State University,” Patterson said. “Being able to continue coaching the sport I love is a true blessing from God. I want to extend my sincere thanks to Dr. Cable and the search committee for their confidence in my abilities and this incredible opportunity. I’m excited to build on the program’s past success and look forward to being part of the SWARM!”
 
The Fuquay Varina, North Carolina, native was named the 2024 SWAC Coach of the Year while guiding the Rattlers to the 2024 SWAC East Division. Pitcher Zoryana Hughes nabbed SWAC Pitcher of the Year honors while five players overall earned All-SWAC laurels.
 
Overall, FAMU had nine players earn All-SWAC honors and one Pitcher of the Year during her two years in Tallahassee. Six of her players have received invitations to the Minority Prospects HBCU All-Star Game. In June 2024, Patterson was named the weCOACH Coach of the Month.

 
Patterson has spent most of her career at Florida A&M, except for a brief stop at Bethune Cookman University (2020). During her career at FAMU, she was elevated from a volunteer to assistant coach in 2016 before taking over her current role with the Rattlers in 2022-23. Patterson served as an assistant at FAMU under the legendary Veronica Wiggins, the only HBCU coach to eclipse 700 wins and has the most wins across all of the university’s sports.
 
As the top assistant, Patterson oversaw the Rattlers’ hitters and outfielders and assisted with day-to-day team operations as Florida A&M won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship in 2016 and 2017.
 
Patterson played Division I softball at Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C., where she led the Camels with 12 home runs and a .561 slugging percentage as a senior. She graduated from Campbell with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 2015.

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MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama State softball coach Todd Bradley has stepped down from his position to focus on his health.

“First off, I want to thank Dr. Ross, Dr. Cable, Hornet Nation, all the student-athletes, and the coaching staff I have enjoyed working alongside the last five years. My experience at Bama State has been the most rewarding of any stops along my journey,” Bradley said. “These types of decisions are never easy. With a lot of reflection, tears, and prayer this is the day I have decided to step away from the game to focus more time on my health and family. For those who may not know, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when I was 16, and over the past eight to nine years I have started to see & experience more complications because of the disease. Those of you who are closest to me know that I always want to give the best of myself regardless of the endeavor. Unfortunately, I am no longer convinced I can do that with 100 percent certainty. Thank you to my beautiful wife & sons, Erica, Tyler & Kyle, and my supportive family for always standing by my side and being with me during this transition. I am looking forward to spending more time with all of you. I am not saying goodbye, just see you later and I will be here as long as it takes to help the department during this transition.”

ASU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Jason Cable said, “Coach Bradley’s unwavering dedication, passion, and commitment to the softball program have shaped the lives of countless student-athletes. Under his guidance, our teams have not only achieved athletic excellence, but off the field, his teams have performed at a prominent level academically earning over a 3.3 GPA and led the department in community service hours. We are saddened to lose Coach Bradley but understand his decision to do what is best for his health and his family. On behalf of the entire Alabama State University community, we thank Coach Bradley from the bottom of our hearts. We wish him strength, health, and happiness in the next chapter of his life.”

Todd Bradley is proud of the program’s 90 percent graduation rate and community service hours the softball program has accomplished.

This past season Bradley won his 500^th career game on February 10 in a 5-2 win over Fort Wayne. He also picked up his 100^th career win as a Hornet in a 9-1 win over Alabama A&M on March 30.

During the 2024 season, the Hornets led the nation with 31 triples and, and .54 triples per game average. The Hornets also placed 4 athletes on the All-Conference team and knocked off two-time defending SWAC Champion Prairie View A&M twice at the SWAC Tournament.

In 2023, Bradley led Alabama State to the SWAC East Division crown and helped the Lady Hornets earn distinction in the conference by coaching the Player & Hitter of the Year, Kindall DeRamus, and Pitcher of the Year, Bailey Greenlee. The team also had five selections for all-conference and won the DI softball statistical champion with 3.4 stolen bases per game.

During the 2022 campaign, Todd Bradley helped guide Alabama State to a championship berth in the conference tournament while also coaching DeRamus to her first Player of the Year honor. The Lady Hornets finished that year with four players earning all-conference honors.

2021 ASU captured the SWAC Softball Championship with an 8-1 win over Alcorn State earning a birth in the NCAA Tournament participating in the Tuscaloosa Regional.

During his first season at the helm of the Lady Hornets, Bradley led the team to a 10-15 record overall and were scheduled to begin conference play when the season was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Alabama State was hitting .273 as a team, with four hitters over .300 including Alexis Sydnor at .449. The team was pitching at a 5.40 earned run average through 154.1 innings in the circle.

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It was not only a historic win as Stillman’s first NAIA tournament victory in program history, but the first-ever victory by a historical black college and university (HBCU) in the NAIA Softball Opening Round. Stillman (36-13) also matches its single-season program wins record set last year at 36.

“The girls were excited. When we finally got here yesterday, some of the nerves went away. I had a feeling we might start a little slow this morning, and we did, but it’s great to be here. Like we keep preaching, we’re not here to just play two games, and obviously, we’re not now,” said Joel Penfield, Stillman head coach.

Next up will be top-seeded, and NAIA No. 7, Jessup University (36-9) of Rocklin, California. The game will start Day 2 of the Opening Round at 1 p.m. Tuesday at William Carey University’s Joseph & Nancy Fail Field.

“We’re Stillman. It doesn’t matter who they are, we just have to go play our game. That’s the way we’ve always been,” Penfield said. “It’s going to be a fight. We’re looking forward to it.”

The Grenadiers put up a fight early Monday, scoring an unearned run off Tiger starter Lexi McCray in the second inning and an earned run in the third inning for a 2-0 lead. Cassi Roman and Erin Templeman collected an RBI.

Ivey Moerland led off the top of the third inning and dove into the first base bag to beat out Stillman’s first hit of the game, but the runner was left stranded. The Tigers’ first run did not come until the top of the fourth, when Anniston Jones drew a leadoff walk and scored on a Karli Davidson sac fly to left.

The Tigers’ bats came alive with three runs in the fifth and sixth innings.

Katelyn Lankford singled up the middle to start the fifth and was run for by Katelynn Madison. Lauren Haskins later beat out a one-out bunt single. A wild throw advanced both runners into scoring position to set up a sac squeeze by Jones to tie the game, 2-2. Haskins later scored when Bailie Seales scored on an error at third, followed by an RBI single by Madison Bubel to put the Tigers in front, 4-2.

IUS scratched back a run in the bottom of the fifth, on an Autumn Oehlstrom RBI single. McCray (16-5) exited the game in position for the win with only one earned run among three total allowed. She gave up five hits and three walks through 4.1 innings.

Stillman pushed across three more runs in the top of the sixth on a Haskins two-run double and RBI single by Jones. Haskins and Jones finished the game with two RBI apiece, while Haskins and Bubel each had two hits to lead the Tigers’ offense.

Jasmine Wade pitched the final 2.2 scoreless innings to shut down IUS, allowing only one hit for her third save.

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The FAMU and MEAC Sports Hall of Famer was honored just three years after last coaching the Lady Rattlers.  Her career is legendary.  She was the first coach to reach 700 wins as an HBCU coach and is about 200 wins ahead of the next closest coach.  She ended her career with over 725 wins.

She also won 13 MEAC softball championships and competed in eight NCAA College Softball World Series Regional playoffs.  She mentored numerous All-MEAC, All-American and Hal of Fame athletes.

However, if you ask her, she does not know the exact number of wins she achieved, conference championships or coach of the Year honors.  That was never what was important to her.

“Them children.  That’s what it was about.  It was about teaching them life through softball.  People always ask me what achievement I am most proud about.  It’s the doctors, lawyers, teachers, leaders and mothers that came from our program.  When I see one of my former players come back and is a mom and they bring me their children…that tops it all.  No trophy or award can top that feeling,” Wiggins said.

FAMU Vice President and Director of Athletics Tiffani-Dawn Sykes pushed through the naming as she had heard so much about Wiggins early in her tenure at FAMU.  “With 29 seasons under her belt, Coach Wiggins has left an indelible mark on FAMU Athletics, boasting an impressive 726 wins–the most in our history. Her leadership propelled the Rattlers to unprecedented success, clinching 13 MEAC Championships and numerous NCAA Regional appearances. This dedication to excellence and her enduring mentorship cements Coach Wiggins’ legacy as a true icon of FAMU Softball,” Sykes said.

On a cloudy day with a hint of rain, the ceremony took place on the FAMU Tennis courts which are adjacent to the softball complex.  After the ceremony in which FAMU President Larry Robinson, Ph.D. and Sykes spoke, several players had the opportunity to speak on Wiggins.  The memories were identical.  Most reflected on Wiggins’ influence in their lives beyond the softball field.

Following the ceremony was a ribbon-cutting on the actual field.  Freshly sewn into the pro turf field in orange and white letters were large letters spelling out Veronica Wiggins Field.  Wiggins was shocked and began to tear up.  She and President Robinson cut the ceremonial ribbon and then cleared the field for the game.  The Lady Rattlers would then get the first victory of Veronica Wiggins Field.  Paced by an inside-the-park home run by Nyomi Jones, FAMU downed the Jacksonville University Dolphins 5-2.

Among those present at the event was FAMU Sports Hall of Fame chairman Marvin Green, Jr.  Working with Wiggins while serving as an associate athletics director at FAMU for some time, Green is stern about the respect that should be put on Wiggins’ name.  “When you mention Jake Gaither as a FAMU great coach, the next words out of your mouth should be Veronica Wiggins.  She is the female equivalent of him”

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4pm games

Alabama A&M took care of business against Alcorn State winning 7-3. AAMU scored two runs in the first and four in the seventh inning to secure the win.

Tuskegee came away with a 10-8 victory over Southern in 12 innings, despite trailing 2-0 after the third. Skegee scored three runs in the fourth to get back on top before a thrilling ninth. Tuskegee scored the go ahead run in the top of the ninth, but Southern tied it back in the bottom of the frame to force extra innings. It went to 12 innings before Tuskegee overpowered Southern scoring three runs in the final inning.

Tennessee State came out of the gates strong to beat Florida A&M 7-4. The Tigers scored two in the bottom of the first and followed that up with three in the second inning, cruising to the win.

6pm games

Alabama State took the field at the Barbara Williams Complex and squeezed by Grambling State for a 6-4 win. The Hornets jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the second inning. Grambling made a rally with three runs in the fifth but it wasn’t enough to hold off the home team.

Howard University was all over Southern University as the Bison blanked the Jaguars 8-0, almost throwing a no hitter. Howard had a big third running scoring five runs. The Howard pitchers held Southern to just one hit in the game.

Tennessee State had its way with Tuskegee in a 9-1 victory that was called after five innings. TSU erupted with four runs in both the second and fourth innings respectively.

8pm Nightcap

Howard continued to roll into the evening with a 4-0 shutout victory over Alabama A&M. The Bison started the game on fire with three runs in the first inning, cruising for the rest of the way.

FAMU got its first win of the season on Friday night after beating Alcorn State 8-2. The game was scoreless heading into the fourth when FAMU whipped out four runs. The Rattlers followed that up in the fifth inning with three runs. FAMU is now 1-11 on the season.

Saturday Matchups

A total of nine games will be played on Saturday at the HBCU Celebration Classic beginning at 10am.

Howard vs Tennessee State

Southern vs Alabama A&M

Grambling vs Tuskegee

Howard vs Alabama State

Tuskegee vs Alabama A&M

Grambling vs FAMU

Tennessee St vs Alabama State

FAMU vs Southern

Tuskegee vs Alcorn State

The HBCU Celebration Classic concludes with two games on Sunday beginning at 10 a.m.

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Gainer was selected by Johnson to join Reese, Marvin Harrison Jr, Hansel Emmanuel, Drake Maye, Brock Bowers, and Kam Kinchens to be a part of the inaugural class of athletes for the program. The Rock’s Warriors have earned NIL deals with ZOA Energy to promote and lead marketing campaigns for the “Better For You” energy drink company.

Johnson, Co-founder of ZOA Energy, said in a statement “I personally selected these phenomenal individuals because of the energy, tenacity, and excitement they bring to the game. With a diverse set of stories and experiences, they’re driven, hungry, talented, and ready for ZOA to help fuel them to greatness.”

Amaya Gainer, joining a talented group, perfectly fits that description as she brought excitement and tenacity to the diamond as she started 43 games and scored 15 runs for the Rattlers this past season.

Her fellow warriors have brought that same energy, tenacity, and excitement as Reese and Bowers both led their teams to win national championships. Harrison, Emmanuel, Maye, and Kinchens are all considered to be some of the best athletes in their sport heading into the next season.

As part of the NIL program, The Rock’s Warriors will create social media content and support national and regional retail partnerships and philanthropic events on behalf of ZOA Energy.

Gainer’s partnership with ZOA is her second NIL deal since transferring to FAMU from Florida Gulf Coast University. Earlier this year, she partnered with H&R Block’s “A Fair Shot” program to bring awareness to female representation to NIL deals and the taxes on NIL revenue.

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Bragg Memorial Stadium, home to FAMU’s football team, could take on the name of NFL Hall of Famer and Rattler legend Ken Riley, while the softball field is expected to be named after former head softball coach Veronica Wiggins.

According to the Tallahassee Democrat, the school’s Naming Committee granted approval for the recommendations back in May. However, the final decision lies in the hands of President Larry Robinson, who must endorse the proposals, and the Board of Trustees, who will discuss it in an upcoming board meeting.

In a recommendation letter addressed to President Robinson, FAMU Athletics Director Tiffani Sykes expressed her enthusiasm for the proposed changes, “If approved, Rattlers will drive on Bob Hayes Lane, take their seats in Bragg Memorial Stadium, and witness championship football on Ken Riley Field. Truly, it will be a winning experience.”

KEN “THE RATTLER” RILEY

Ken Riley is an esteemed Florida A&M University alumnus and former NFL player for the Cincinnati Bengals who unfortunately passed away in 2020. His remarkable achievements led to his induction into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2023.

After an illustrious 15-season career in the NFL, Riley turned to coaching, spending two seasons as an assistant coach with the Green Bay Packers. In 1986, he returned back to the 850 as the Rattler’s head football coach. Riley led the team to winning two MEAC championships.

Riley was recognized as the MEAC Coach of the Year and was inducted into the 1982 FAMU Sports Hall of Fame, the Black College Football Hall of Fame, and the Florida Sports Hall of Fame.

Riley’s journey at FAMU began in 1965 when he joined the team a quarterback in the following season. Playing under the Rattler legend Jake Gaither, Riley left a mark on the field, recording an impressive career record of 23 wins and 7 losses. Each season he played a vital role in securing the SIAC title for the Rattlers.

VERONICA WIGGINS

Wiggins, the only HBCU Division I coach to ever win more than 700. During her tenure, FAMU softball achieved unparalleled dominance in the MEAC. Wiggins racked up an impressive tally of 13 MEAC Championships, 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, five MEAC Coach of the Year awards, and a remarkable total of 726 wins.

Within the MEAC conference, she maintained an outstanding record of 281 wins and only 90 losses. In recognition of her achievements, Wiggins was inducted into the Florida A&M Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006, and most recently the 2022 MEAC Hall of Fame

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NORFOLK, Va. — The North Carolina Central University softball team secured its first-ever MEAC Softball Championship title and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament with a convincing 6-2 win over Coppin State University on Saturday afternoon at the NSU Softball Field.
 
The third-seeded NCCU Eagles, who joined the league in 2011-12, secured its first MEAC Softball Championship with four wins in the four-day tournament, including two triumphs against Coppin State. Third-year head coach and MEAC Coach of the Year Cat Tarvin guided NCCU to the historic title on the way to being named the 2023 MEAC Softball Championship Most Outstanding Coach.

NC Central (19-33) will make its first NCAA Division I tournament appearance next week. The NCAA Softball Regional selection show to begin the 2023 NCAA softball championship on the road to the Women’s College World Series will air on ESPN2 Sunday at 7 p.m.
 
Sophomore pitcher/designated player Jaden Davis was named the MEAC Most Outstanding Performer for the Eagles while junior Morgan Green and sophomore Ashanti Eubanks joined Davis on the MEAC All-Tournament Team.
 
Davis hit safely in all five tournament games, batting .333 with three extra-base hits (2 2B, 1 HR) and six runs. Davis also hurled two complete-game victories with 13 strikeouts on the way to earning her two postseason awards. Davis has now earned All-Tournament Team recognition each of her first two seasons at NCCU.

Green had a team-best .467 batting average and seven runs scored while Eubanks went 2-0, including the championship-clinching win, with a 2.33 ERA and 11 strikeouts to highlight their strong tournament performances.
 
Freshman Takia Nichols crushed a solo home run over the fence in left-center field to begin the second inning. Her eighth home run of her rookie campaign provided NCCU with a lead that would never be relinquished.
 
A couple of singles off the bats of juniors Jaylah Barr and Maegan Garrison led to a sacrifice fly by classmate Ivory Jones to double up NCCU’s early lead, 2-0, in the top of the second inning.
 
Freshman Celeste Gonzales cut the CSU deficit in half with an RBI hit in the bottom of the third.

NCCU quickly answered with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth. Barr and Green scored on a dropped flyball that put the designated visitors ahead 4-1. Garrison was credited with an RBI on the play as the flyball would have resulted in a sacrifice fly had the ball been caught.
 
Barr supplied an RBI-groundout in the top of the fifth inning that plated Davis for an insurance run that extended the NCCU lead to 5-1. Davis doubled to start the frame, extending her hit streak to a team-best 11 games.
 
Garrison and Nichols led the maroon and gray with two hits apiece. A double by Nichols to begin the seventh inning led to the final NCCU run.
 
NCCU received contributions throughout its lineup as the top eight batters all provided Eubanks with at least one hit, walk, or sacrifice to help generate the six championship runs.

Eubanks tossed a complete-game victory, her second of the tournament, after holding Coppin State to just one earned run on six hits. Eubanks also had four strikeouts in her eighth victory of the season.
 
Fifth-seeded Coppin State ended its incredible run with a season record of 16-28.

NCCU WILL MAKE FIRST APPEARANCE IN NCAA ATHENS REGIONALS

The North Carolina Central University softball team has been selected to compete in the 2023 NCAA Athens Regional that will be hosted by University of Georgia and scheduled for Friday-Sunday, May 19-21, as announced during the Division I Softball Championship selection show that was aired on ESPN2 Sunday evening.
 
The 14th-seeded Bulldogs will host NCCU, Boston University and Virginia Tech University in the four-team, double-elimination Athens Regional.
 
NCCU will officially make its first NCAA softball postseason appearance at the DI level after winning the 2023 MEAC Softball Championship when regional play begins on Friday. The Eagles will face host Georgia in their opening game at Jake Turner Stadium at 4:30 p.m. The game is scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN+.

The Terriers and Hokies will kick-off the regional on Friday beginning at 2 p.m.
 
There will be three games on Saturday, including Friday’s two winners facing each other to go along with two elimination games. The regional championship game(s) will be on Sunday, with the advancing team headed to a Super Regional against the winner of the Tallahassee Regional.
 
Tickets are on sale now (purchase online here). All-session tickets will be sold for $25 each and will only be sold online in advance of the tournament. An all-session ticket grants admission to every game of the Athens Regional. All-session tickets will only be sold until Thursday, May 18 at 12 p.m., ET. Daily tickets can be purchased online for $10 each with daily tickets going on sale Thursday, May 18 at 12 p.m. All seating is general admission. Gates will open one hour prior to the first game each day.

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The Prairie View A&M Lady Panthers rallied to score one in the seventh inning and walked it off on a single off the bat of junior Destinee Smith to pick up the 8-7 victory over the Grambling softball team Friday.  Going through the 2023 SWAC Championship Tournament undefeated and leading them to a back-to-back championship title.

The win ties for the 30th win record under head softball coach Bland since the 2019 season.

Junior Jerrica Rojas (11-2) picked up the victory out of the bullpen for the Lady Panthers (27-18). The right-hander went one shutout inning while giving up one hit.

Sophomore Aerin Talley led the way offensively for the Lady Panthers, going 1-for-3 in the ballgame with a home run, a walk, and four RBI. Freshman Mia Nunez provided a noteworthy performance as well, going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Smith also chipped in, going 1-for-2 for Prairie View A&M with two walks and an RBI.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Lady Panthers got on the board immediately, starting their scoring with four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Prairie View A&M got a grand slam from Talley off of freshman Erin Gibbs, scoring all four of their runs in the inning.

The Lady Tigers then rallied to score seven runs and take a 7-4 lead before the Lady Panthers got back on the board in the sixth. which brought the score level to 7-7.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the seventh when Prairie View A&M walked it off on an RBI single off the bat of Smith.

GAME NOTES

» Talley drove in four runs for the Lady Panthers.
» Every Prairie View A&M starter reached base safely in the win.
» Prairie View A&M’s highest-scoring inning was the first, when it pushed four runs across.
» Prairie View A&M went 3-for-8 (.375) with runners in scoring position.
» Prairie View A&M pitchers faced 33 Grambling hitters in the game, allowing 11 ground balls and seven fly balls while striking out three.
» The Lady Panthers drew nine walks from Grambling pitching.
» Talley led the Lady Panthers at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a home run and four RBI.
» Grambling was led offensively by freshman Lauren Ervin, who went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI.

SWAC All-Tournament Team

• Joslynn Davis, Bethune-Cookman
• Kiri Parker, Alcorn State
• Mikeria Howard, Alcorn State
• Kristian Edwards, Alcorn State
• Marsha Hunt, Alcorn State
• Lauren Ervin, Grambling State
• Tytianna Robinson, Grambling State
• Erin Gibbs, Grambling State
• Jerrica Rojas, Prairie View A&M
• Cailin Massey, Prairie View A&M
• Audrey Garcia, Prairie View A&M
• Aerin Talley, Prairie View A&M

Most Valuable Player

Jerrica Rojas, Prairie View A&M

LADY PANTHERS ADVANCES TO NCAA REGIONALS

The 2023 Southwestern Athletic Conference Champions Prairie View A&M softball team will make its third NCAA Regional appearance Friday, May, 19 at 5 pm CT on the SEC Network, when it takes on LSU at Tiger Field in Baton Rouge, La.  

Baton Rouge Regional will also feature Sun Belt Conference Champions, UL-Lafayette, Omaha — the Summit League Champions. 

The winner of the LSU /PVAMU softball game will advance to play the winner of the UL-Lafayette/Omaha game Saturday TBA. The loser of the Lady Panther’s game Friday will fall into the elimination bracket and take on the loser of game one.

NOTES

• The Prairie View A&M Lady Panthers rallied to score one in the seventh inning and walked it off on a single off the bat of junior Destinee Smith to pick up the 8-7 victory over the Grambling Lady Tigers Friday.  Going through the 2023 SWAC Championship Tournament undefeated and leading them to a back-to-back championship title.
• Junior Jerrica Rojas (11-2) picked up the victory out of the bullpen for Prairie View A&M (27-18). The right-hander went one shutout inning while giving up one hit.
• Sophomore Aerin Talley led the way offensively for the Lady Panthers, going 1-for-3 in the ballgame with a home run, a walk, and four RBI. Freshman Mia Nunez provided a noteworthy performance as well, going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Smith also chipped in, going 1-for-2 for Prairie View A&M with two walks and an RBI. 

2023 ACCOLADES

• Aerin Talley – SWAC Newcomer of the Year, 2nd Team All-SWAC, SWAC Tournament Team 
• Biviana Figueora —  SWAC 1st Team
•  Mia Nunez – 2nd Team All-SWAC
• Jerrica Rojas– 2nd Team All-SWAC, SWAC All-Tournament Team, SWAC Tournament MVP
• Cailin Massey — 1st Team All-SWAC,  SWAC All-Tournament Team
• Audrey Garcia – SWAC All-Tournament Team

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TUSKEGEE, Ala. — The NCAA Division II Softball Committee announced the field of 64 teams for the upcoming NCAA Division II Softball Tournament, with Tuskegee softball earning the No. 8 seed in the South Region.

Tuskegee garnered an automatic berth from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference due to postseason champion Edward Waters being in only the second year of a three-year transition from NAIA to the NCAA Division II ranks.

The Golden Tigers have now made the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive year, after taking on Auburn Montgomery and UAH in Montgomery last year in same tournament.

As the No. 8 seed, Tuskegee will open the 2023 NCAA Division II South Region Tournament against Sunshine State Conference member and top seed Tampa, and is paired with the matchup between Gulf South Conference members No. 4 seed UAH and No. 5 seed Mississippi College.
 
The Golden Tigers will have the first game of the South 1 Regional at 11 a.m. CT on Thursday, followed by UAH and MC at 2 p.m. CT.
 
In the South 2 Regional, the No. 2 seed Saint Leo will host no. 3 seed Nova Southeastern, no. 6 seed West Alabama and No. 7 seed AUM.
 
At the conclusion of the two double elimination tournaments, the two winners will face next week in the South Super Regional to determine the South’s representative at the 2023 NCAA Division II Softball National Championship.

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Albany, Georgia-Former professional wrestling star and Hall of Famer Ric Flair had a saying that he made famous throughout his legendary run. He would often say “To Be The Man, You Have To Beat The Man.” That case rang true for Edward Waters in their first appearance at the Cricket SIAC Softball Championship Game locking up with multiple time and defending champion Tuskegee on Thursday afternoon at the Gordon Sports Complex. The Lady Tigers were able to serve notice that they were the new “Queens of the Diamond” in the SIAC, defeating the Golden Tigers 8-4, completing an undefeated run through the tournament, and capturing the SIAC title in their first full season competing as a member of the conference.

It was the second time that Edward Waters and Tuskegee met in the tournament, with the Lady Tigers taking an 8-4 victory in their second contest. Tuskegee went in the contest knowing that they had to defeat Edward Waters twice to keep their conference domination going.

TU plated the first two runs in the bottom half of the first inning to take an early 2-0 lead. After a scoreless second inning, the EWU offense got going in a big way in the top of the third. First team All-SIAC and Minority Softball Prospects All-Star Kylah Gardner connected on a two-run opposite field homer over the right field wall that tied things up at 2-2. The Lady Tigers plated two more runs in the top of the fourth on Laura Scott’s two-RBI single to give Edward Waters their first lead of the contest at 4-2.

The Golden Tigers cut the deficit to one in the bottom of the fifth, but Edward Waters pushed the lead back out to two in the top of the sixth on a Tuskegee throwing error that scored Jamiah Holmes to make it a 5-3 lead. The Lady Tigers added three critical insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning. Brooke Rice scored on another TU throwing error, Jade Mention scored on a wild pitch, and Scott hit another RBI single to give EWU an 8-3 advantage. Tuskegee was able to add a run in the bottom half of the seventh inning, but relief pitcher Milani Sablan was able to strike out the Golden Tigers’ final batter, giving Edward Waters their first softball conference championship since the 2015 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference title.

In her final collegiate contest of her career, Tiara Peters led the Lady Tigers at the plate going 2-for-2 with two walks in the matchup, while Brooke Rice finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Scott also had a multiple hit game for EWU going 2-for-5 with three RBI’s and a run scored.  The Lady Tigers got it done on the basepaths as well with seven stolen bases on eight attempts in the matchup. Alyssa Charter-Smith was phenomenal in the circle for Edward Waters, going 6.0 innings, allowing four earned runs, and striking out seven Golden Tigers in the matchup.

Kylah Gardner, Brooke Rice, and Jodasea Peterson were selected to the All-Tournament Team, while head coach Mike Ellison was named to Coach of the Tournament. Peterson was also named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player as well. 

Due to the fact that Edward Waters is in the second year of their three-year transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division II, the squad unfortunately will not be able to represent the conference in the NCAA Division II Softball Tournament and the conference’s automatic bid will go to Tuskegee. Despite that news, Edward Waters can hang their hat on the fact that they set a new program record for victories, ending the season with a 16-game winning streak, finishing the year with a remarkable 43-7 overall mark while also going 19-3 in SIAC play in the regular season. The Lady Tigers also claimed the SIAC Regular Season East Division Championship, the SIAC Tournament Championship, and will likely be unanimously chosen as the HBCU Softball National Champions for the second consecutive season.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- The Southwestern Athletic Conference has announced its 2023 SWAC Softball Tournament seeds following the conclusion of regular season play.

Prairie View A&M (22-2 SWAC) enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed from the Western Division.

Grambling State claimed the Western Division No. 2 seed (15-9 SWAC), while Texas Southern claimed the No. 3 seed (12-12 SWAC) followed by No. 4 seed Alcorn State (11-13 SWAC).

Alabama State (17-7 SWAC) enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed from the Eastern Division.

Bethune-Cookman claimed the Eastern Division No. 2 seed (15-9 SWAC), while Florida A&M claimed the No. 3 seed (13-11 SWAC) followed by No. 4 seed Jackson State (13-11 SWAC).

In the event of a tie in conference records the league’s tiebreaker policy was used to determine final seedings.

The tournament will be played in a double-elimination format with action set to start at 9:00 a.m. CST on Tuesday, May 9^th with games slated to run through May 12^th.

If necessary, the final tournament championship game has been scheduled for Saturday, May 13^th.  All tournament games will be available live on the SWAC Digital Network.

The complete SWAC Softball Tournament bracket can be found here. Tournament Bracket. Please click here to purchase tickets for the event.

Tuesday, May 9
Game 1 — (E2) Bethune-Cookman vs. (W3) Texas Southern, 9:00 a.m.
Game 2 — (W2) Grambling State vs. (E3) Florida A&M, 12:00 p.m.
Game 3 — (W1) Prairie View A&M vs. (E4) Jackson State, 3:00 p.m.
Game 4 — (E1) Alabama State vs. (W4) Alcorn State, 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday, May 10
Game 5 — Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 3, 9:00 a.m.
Game 6 — Loser Game 2 vs. Loser Game 4, 12:00 p.m.
Game 7 — Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 3, 3:00 p.m.
Game 8 — Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 4, 6:00 p.m.

Thursday, May 11
Game 9 — Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 7
Game 10 — Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 8
Game 11 — Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8
Game 12 — Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10

Friday, May 12
Game 13 — Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 11
Game 14 — Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 13

Saturday, May 13 (if necessary)
Game 15 — Championship Game 2

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MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Alabama State University stranded the tying and go ahead runs in final two innings to preserve a 6-4 win over Georgia Tech on Wednesday afternoon at Newborn Field.

How It Happened

• Alex Preston hit a two-run home run after Kindall DeRamus drew a leadoff walk to give Alabama State a 2-0 lead in the first inning. 
• The Hornets added two runs to build the lead to 4-0 in the second. DeRaumus walked and scored on an Alana Scott RBI single, and Scott came home two plays later after a fielding error.  
• Georgia Tech put a runner in scoring position, but starter Bailey Greenlee got a ground out and fly out to strand the runner at third in the third inning. 
• Emma Minghini’s solo home run in the bottom of the fourth, trailing 4-1. 
• Kiana Parrish, Lauryn Maher, and Jasmine Rogers walked to open the fifth. A run scored on a wild pitch and DeRamus singled home Maher to make the score 6-1.  
• Georgia Tech put two runners with one out, but the Lady Hornets turned a a 5-3 double play to end the fifth and preserve the 6-1 lead. 
• Caroline Davis was hit by pitch with the bases loaded and Ella Edgmon had an RBI single as Georgia Tech cut the ASU lead to 6-3 in the sixth.  
• Alabama State turned its second double play of the game to preserve the lead going into the seventh inning.  
• Georgia Tech cut the lead to 6-4 but Olivia Brown got a pop out, a strikeout and a ground out to end the game. 

In The Circle

• Bailey Greenlee (13-8) allowed three runs on three hits with a strikeout in 5.0 innings pitched to earn the win.
• Sophie Voyles (2-6) gave two runs on a hit with three walks in two-thirds of an inning to suffer the loss.
• Oiivia Brown (1) worked the final two innings, giving up one run on four hits with a strikeout to earn the save. 

Inside The Box

• DeRamus finished with two hits and an RBI as the only Lady Hornet with multiple hits. 
• Preston had two RBI on her first inning home run as the only Lady Hornet with an extra base hit.  
• Scott added RBI singles for Alabama State.  

Alabama State University host Alabama A&M for a SWAC series starting on Friday April, 21 at 5 p.m. 

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“This is huge to get a sweep,” said Florida A&M head coach Camise Patterson.  “It’s our first weekend, you know, we talk a lot about being a great team and a lot of times I tell them that great teams find a way to win even if they’re not playing their best softball, and I think that was us this weekend.”

The Lady Rattlers started the series on Friday with a 5-3 win to open the series.  Saturday brought on the dramatics as the Lady Rattlers would need nine innings to ward off the Tigers, ending on a walk-off homerun by Nyah Morgan.  Sunday’s game was another close game.  FAMU jumped out to a 3-0 lead before JSU would come back and take the lead in the top of the fourth inning.  FAMU would tie up the game in the bottom of the fourth and take a two-run lead in the bottom of the fifth.  JSU would tie things up in the top of the sixth.  The Lady Rattlers would then hold the Tigers scoreless for the top of the seventh before the walk-off winner in the final frame.

Patterson is in her first year as head coach at Florida A&M

For first-year head coach Patterson, it was encouraging to see her team continue to fight for victories.  “This team is a very scrappy team.  We’re going to find a way to win.  To see it happen early in the season is awesome playing against a harder and tougher non-conference schedule.  Having tougher pitching, having catchers that have even better arms what we see in the SWAC, is very important because we have that confidence that we can come out here and sweep a series like this,” Patterson added.

There is no rest for the Lady Rattlers who are on Spring Break this week.  The Rattlers must prepare to face the B-CU Wildcats in Tallahassee.  This is one of the most storied rivalries in the history of HBCU softball.  While in the MEAC, Florida A&M and B-CU owned softball.  The rivalry has been enhanced by the transcendence to the SWAC.  The Rattlers and Wildcats will play Friday (3/17) at 5PM, Saturday (3/18) at 3PM and Sunday (3/19) at 1PM at the Lady Rattler Softball Complex.

Patterson knows that when they face B-CU it is always going to be a battle.  “This (sweep) can be really huge, especially going into next week and we have our in-state rivals and overall rivals from Cookman,” said Patterson.  “For us that’s always a big series, it’s always big games.  So knowing that we just got three wins, should give us more confidence going into next weekend.”

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Tyson said what really set her off was the umpire telling her freshman catcher that she moved too slow. According to her, the player was unaware how inappropriate it was because it was her first collegiate start. 

“This is triggering,” Tyson wrote.

But Tyson says the umpire was very aware of what he was doing.

“He positioned himself to block me & said this silently to her b/c he knew this was wrong! This isn’t integrity this is manipulation!,” Tyson tweeted. “This started from inning 1 he was controlling her & the game he NEVER mentioned 90 seconds. She though this was normal.”

Tyson provided video to support her claims that the umpire continued to act in a manipulative manner. She eventually confronted UCR coach Nikki Palmer, who insisted she protest after the game. Tyson said she agreed to, then headed back to her dugout where she encouraged her team to keep playing despite circumstances that she felt were clearly unfair. 

She wanted her team to push on as she was pushing on. The date of the incident – March 4th – coincided with the date of the passing of her daughter’s father in 2022. That incident was a big part of the Howard University softball run to the MEAC title run last spring. Her team was playing with his number (24) painted on their faces at the time. 

“This is bigger than softball,” Tyson told her team from the dugout. “Let’s play softball.”

Ironically, this is what led to her being thrown out of the game. 

“I own not standing down b/c I won’t show women that a woman especially a black woman has to stand down & shut up.. in a sport made for women, played by women! So I demanded an explanation for the initial issue of why he kept ending their warm up, why I was warned  & now my ejection…

Tori Tyson says the on-field umpires agreed that this was wrong, but insisted she protest later. 

“While I agree On-field calls are for later interpretation, disrespect, lack of integrity, & silencing a woman & minority girls ARE NOT a FOR LATER task.”

According to Tyson, the NCAA has received numerous complaints and statements regarding the incident. Here is how the NCAA responded: 

The same protocol for processing this ejection/suspension report was followed that has been in place for many years. However, the NCAA Softball Rules Committee can discuss improving protocols related to processing ejection/suspension reports and will take your suggestions into consideration. Unfortunately, there is no appeal process and the NCAA softball playing rules don’t allow for an ejection/suspension to be overturned.

This did not fly with Tori Tyson.

“I will not serve this suspension in vein! My babies deserve better! This wasn’t about 90 seconds this was about 1 man impacting the game, de-humanizing my athletes and myself! She tweeted. “I will never stand down on that nor apologize for it!”

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“We are happy to announce Camise Patterson as our new softball head coach,” said Interim Director of Athletics Michael Smith. “Coach Patterson is a very intelligent person who has prepared herself for this opportunity. She is energetic and poised to build on this storied program’s great legacy. She is committed to developing our student-athletes and creating a championship atmosphere.” 

“First and foremost, I want to thank God, this is an opportunity that many would love to have, and without Him, this would not be possible,” said Head Coach Camise Patterson. “Thank you to the administration, the hiring committee, the players, and all who were involved for trusting me to be the person to continue to lead this program. Big shoutout to everyone who has been supportive in my pursuit of this dream; family, friends, coaches, and everyone else. The opportunity to lead a team of multi-talented young ladies is not something I take lightly, and I look forward to jumping right into my first season as the head coach. To the players: ONE TEAM, ONE DREAM! Let’s Go, Rattlers!” 

Camise Patterson was elevated to head coach after serving as the interim head coach for the summer and fall of 2022. Patterson served on the 2021 and 2022 teams as the assistant coach and helped lead the Rattlers to the SWAC Tournament in their first season in the SWAC with a conference record of 12-12 and an impressive 9-5 home record. Patterson played a critical role in the development of shortstop Destiny Cuevas, who earned All-SWAC First Team honors. 

Patterson was also part of legendary Coach Veronica Wiggins’ staff from 2016-18 as a volunteer assistant coach and was part of the 2016 MEAC Conference Championship team. 

Patterson played and graduated from Campbell University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. Patterson played three seasons for the Camels and had a career-high and team-leading 12 home runs in her senior season. 

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WASHINGTON (August 15, 2022) — Odicci Alexander shot to softball stardom with dominant pitching and defensive web gem during the 2021 Women’s College World Series. Now, the former James Madison (JMU) standout is joining the Howard University coaching staff. 

“I am so excited to have Odicci join our Bison family. Who she is, and what she represents is much deeper than softball,” Coach Tori Tyson said. “This a big deal for not just our team, but the entire DMV community, the MEAC and all HBCUs.” 

In her redshirt senior season at JMU, Odicci Alexander led the Dukes on an unprecedented run as they became the first unseeded team in NCAA softball history to reach the WCWS semifinals. She started all but one of JMU’s 10 NCAA tournament games in the circle and posted a 6-3 record. Her 66 WCWS strikeouts were the second most in the tournament. 

Alexander’s gutsy postseason performance created buzz in Oklahoma City and on social media. Her diving play at the plate in the Dukes’ win over No. 5 Oklahoma State took the top spot on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” Top 10 countdown. Major League Baseball, the Washington Nationals, the Washington Commanders and USA Softball legends Jennie Finch and Cat Osterman all tweeted about the JMU squad during the tournament. 

When Alexander exited during the Dukes’ season-ending loss to eventual national champion No. 1 Oklahoma, she received a standing ovation from the fans in USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium. 

“I am super excited and grateful for this opportunity, and to be a part of this Howard community with Coach Tyson. I am extremely thankful for the opportunities this sport has brought me,” Alexander said. “I can’t wait to be on campus with the girls and get to work.” 

The Boydton, Virginia, native finished the 2021 season with a 18-3 record, throwing 204 strikeouts in 143.2 innings of work. For her achievements, she was named Softball America’s NCAA Pitcher of the Year, D1 Softball’s Woman of the Year, and a member of the Women’s College World Series All-Tournament team. Over her five-year JMU career, she posted an 81-18 record with a 2.18 earned run average. 

Alexander was a difference maker on both sides of the ball for JMU. She fashioned a .337 career batting average, and her career total of 39 home runs stands as fourth most in program history. 

“Odicci will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our program. I can’t wait for our athletes to learn from her,” Tyson said. “She has a real passion for developing pitchers and sharing the game and our bullpen and entire team and staff will benefit greatly from having her in our dugout.” 

Alexander was drafted by the USSSA Pride in 2021, and now plays for Athletes Unlimited. In the 2022 collegiate season, she was a volunteer assistant coach for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. 

Alexander joins the Howard University squad after their historic NCAA tournament appearance. After upsetting Morgan State to win the MEAC tournament, the 2022 Bison squad became the first Howard team to score in the NCAA tournament. They look to return to postseason play in the 2023 season with Alexander in their dugout. 

Alexander will join the Bison in late October at the conclusion of her professional season in Japan. 

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NORMAN, Okla. —  Prairie View A&M softball concluded the 2022 season in the elimination round of the NCAA Norman Regionals falling to the Minnesota Golden Gophers 13-1 (5 innings).

Minnesota opened the game with seven runs in the bottom half of the first inning taking a 7-0 lead using a double and two home runs and a single to left-center to score.

The Golden Gophers added two run in the bottom of the second to advance their lead 9-0.  Minnesota added four more runs in the bottom of the fourth.

PVAMU was able to get on the board with one run in the top of the fifth, when Destinee Smith hit an RBI fielder’s choice scoring Taliya Talley, who earned a free base being walked.

Cailin Massey earned the loss finishing the season with a 12-13 overall record. The Lady Panthers concluded the season 20-30 overall and 16-8 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play. 

The Lady Panthers defeated Alabama State 9-1 in a winner-take-all finale to claim the SWAC’s automatic berth in the NCAA Softball Tournament.
 
Biviana Figueroa earned SWAC Tournament MVP honors and was joined on the all-tournament team by Jerrica Rojas, and Cailin Massey.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Prairie View A&M Softball head coach Vernon Bland. “This team started the season 0-19 and came back to win the 2022 SWAC Softball Championship. I give all the credit to my coaches and the team for never giving up and believing in the process. This is just an accumulation of all our hard work finally coming together.”

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (May 21, 2022) — Howard University softball team saw its historic season end at the NCAA Regional Round, falling to Southeast Conference (SEC) opponent Mississippi State (MSU), 6-3, at JoAnne Graf Field in Tallahassee, Fla.
 
Despite the outcome, HU (31-24) produced more hits than the Bulldogs, 7-6, including senior outfielder Kalita Dennis (Elk Grove, Calif.) delivering a two-run blast over the left field wall. For her efforts, the California native scored the Bison’s first two runs in program history during the NCAA Tournament.
 
Fellow classmate Camille Navarro (Los Angeles) also registered a hit, along with a walk and run scored in the loss.

MSU (34-25) scored five unearned runs on one hit during the first three innings of play, capitalizing on three Bison errors.
 
Top six, senior Tracy Mosley (Jonesboro, Ga.) provided a spark for the Bison in her final hurrah, tossing 1.2 innings with a pair of strikeouts.
 
Navarro opened the bottom six with a leadoff double to left center and put HU in prime position to get on the board. With one away, Dennis delivered the historic two-run moonshot and pulled the Bison within four, 6-2.
 
The rally continued with a hit-by-pitch walk by newcomer Sidney Fletcher (Whittier, Calif.), followed by a two-out single from fellow rookie Shalon McNeal (Lima, Ohio); thus, putting runners on the corners. Next, HU utilized aggressive base running to bring home Fletcher and cut the margin to three after six innings, 6-3.
 
Next inning, MSU’s Aspen Wesley sat down HU in order and advanced Mississippi State to the next round where they will face South Florida in another elimination match.
 
In her final appearance, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament Outstanding Performer Analise De La Roca (San Pedro, Calif.) battled for 2.2 innings before handing the ball off to senior Sydney Hixenbaugh (Millstone, N.J.). The New Jersey product also threw 2.2 innings in her final game for HU.
 
Fellow seniors Maxie Harrington (Vacaville, Calif.), Ayana Sallee (Chesapeake, Va.), Xzarria Simmons (Escondido, Calif.) and Shayna Swanson (Sammamish, Wash.) all saw action in their final game against the Bulldogs.
 
In their four years together, the senior class produced 70 victories, including back-to-back winning seasons (2021 & 2022), while earning the program’s second MEAC Championship a week ago.
 
Howard softball wrapped up its fourth year under Coach Tyson, highlighted by a program-best 31 wins in a single season. Next season, HU looks to defend its MEAC crown and return to the NCAA Tournament.

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“Today is my baby’s birthday,” Tyson told HBCU Gameday from a restaurant in Tallahassee, FL. “And just for her to be with us as we take on our first regional together as a group and be able to be there and experience this with me means the entire world.”

It was a fitting moment joining Tyson’s personal and professional lives. Her team has rallied around Skylar after her father, Dylan, passed away unexpectedly a few months back. 

“This team has been her life support and she has battled this and often been my strength. I’ve had to figure out a way that I could get through a two and a half practice because I owe that to them. But again, just process these highs and the lows has been a lot and very, very heavy on us.”

Re-building Howard University softball

Indeed, the road to the NCAA regional was far from an easy one. When Tyson inherited the program back in fall 2018, she inherited a program that had won just eight games the previous season.

“When you when you inherit a losing program, there’s things that are happening behind the scenes that you typically have to clean up first,” Tyson remembered. “We just lacked discipline in a lot of different areas. And so you don’t get that first run. It’s like the honeymoon phase. I came in and I took the job in November.I didn’t even know everybody’s name. We leave for Christmas break. I just teach them the basic fundamentals of games that can keep us competitive. But to clean up the culture was gonna take work and I knew I needed to get to know them.”

HU went 19-29 in Tyson’s first season. Then came the spring 2020 season which coincided with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which eventually shut down spring sports. Howard went remote for fall of 2020, so once again – no full year to move the program forward. But Tyson was determined.

“It is insanity to take an eight-win team no facilities, no nothing, and think that you’re going to win a conference championship,” Tyson said. “And I had to bet on myself and I had to make sure that we had athletes here that believed in that vision. And I had to recruit athletes that were crazy to believe in that vision as well.”

One of the athletes Tyson inherited was Camille Navarro. The second base star has been a mainstay in the program, and was named MEAC Player of the Year in 2021. Navarro is a superior athlete, but now she has more help which has helped HU become a better softball program. 

“We’ve won a lot of games that Camille Navarro didn’t have a big hit. That Morgan State series, I think was the first time in her career to win a series without a hit so again it’s just it’s really cool to see how the program’s involved and how it’s helped her evolve.”

Family first beyond softball

The 2022 MEAC Basketball Tournament finals are coming down to the wire. Howard University is taking on hometown favorite Norfolk State in the title game. It’s mostly a partisan crowd for NSU – except for the corner behind the Howard bench. A spirited group of young ladies in H-U paraphernalia cheers racociously for its team, which pulls out a tough win and cuts down the nets. It was the HU softball team.

“That’s family. Our women’s basketball team is family,” Tyson said.  “Coach Ty (Grace), before she took off for the tournament, it was shortly after Dylan had passed and she was going to take Skylar with her to the tournament. And I was like, you got to focus on your thing. But she’s like, ‘I don’t care… I feel like it just kind of speaks the testament of our relationship and the relationship the bond our players have with them.”

Two weeks later in the same city, that same group of young women helped bring a title of their own back to Howard. Tyson and the Bison finally broke through, winning the MEAC title for the first time since 2007 and just the second time in program history. Now it will face Florida State, the second ranked program in D1 softball, in its NCAA regional opener. 

“We have nothing to lose,” Tyson said. “And so I really I think that we can respect Florida State –  and everybody in this tournament to be honest – and what they built. But we can also put some respect on our own name and our process and the work we put in. I think those two things can live together.”

Howard University opens up its NCAA regional play on Friday against host Florida State. The game is set to start at 8:30 P.M.

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The Prairie View A&M softball team went on a Cinderella story run after starting the season 0-19 and being outscored 166-55 by opponents. The team finished the regular season 20-27 overall.

“It’s unbelievable,” said PVAMU head coach Vernon Bland. “This team started the season 0-19 and came back to win the 2022 SWAC Softball Championship. I give all the credit to my coaches and the team for never giving up and believing in the process. This is just an accumulation of all our hard work finally coming together.”

Prairie View’s sophomore catcher and infielder Biviana Figueroa took home the MVP of the 2022 SWAC Softball All-Tournament Team. This past weekend, Figueroa had two hits on 10 at-bats during the three-game championship series against the Lady Hornets.

“We look to shock someone at regionals,” said Bland. “Next year, this team will return with the exception of two student-athletes as we look to defend our title.”

Prairie View has earned the No. 4 seed in the Norman Regional and will be heading into the College World Series with a ton of momentum after winning 20 out of their last 28 games. The Lady Panthers will face the top-seeded University of Oklahoma Sooners on Friday, May 20 in Norman, Oklahoma at Marita Hynes Field.

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NORFOLK, Va. (May 13, 2022) — Freshman outfielder Payton Quinonez (Tulare, Calif.) delivered arguably one of her biggest hits in her young Bison career, sending the No. 2 Howard University softball team to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Title Game with a walk-off RBI-single against rival No. 3 Norfolk State (NSU), 8-7, at NSU Softball Field.

Both squads were deadlocked in the seventh, 7-7, and with two outs, senior Xzarria Simmons (Escondido, Calif.) jumped the Bison rally with a single to short. Up next, rookie Alyssa Watson (Eastvale, Calif.) reached base on a dropped third strike where Simmons advanced to third. With two outs and runners on the corners, Quinonez drilled her first pitch at-bat to center to bring home Simmons and send the Bison to Championship Saturday.

HU registered eight runs on six hits, led by Quinonez going 2-of-4 with a run scored and walk-off RBI-single.

Howard jumped out to an early 3-0 advantage after one, but the Spartans responded with a four-run second inning and took their first lead of game, 4-3.

NSU extended its lead with an unearned run in the fourth, 5-3, but senior Maxie Harrington (Vacaville, Calif.) scored on a passed ball and pulled the Bison back within one after four innings of play, 5-4.

Next inning, All-MEAC First Team selection Lealani Ricks (Madera, Calif.) stole home and tied the contest at five apiece, 5-5.

In the sixth, NSU reclaimed the upper hand after a two-run double from Lily Potter, 7-5, but senior Camille Navarro (Los Angeles) answered with a two-run single and tied the game again after six, 7-7.

Senior Sydney Hixenbaugh (Millstone, N.J.) displayed an outstanding performance in relief, tossing 5.1 innings in the win.

For NSU (34-23), they saw their 2022 campaign come to an end after setting a program record for wins in a season during the Div. I era (34). Potter had a game-high three RBIs in the loss.

With a victory, HU advances to the title game where they will face top seeded Morgan State (MSU) in a rematch. First pitch is set for 9 a.m. and will be streamed live on the MEAC Digital Network via YouTube.

For Howard to win its second MEAC title, the Bison must defeat MSU twice on Championship Saturday.

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GULFPORT, Miss. | Alabama State softball battled two different opponents and an hour-long weather delay to pull out a pair of wins to advance to the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championship game on Friday. The Hornets pulled away from Jackson State in the opening game of the day for an 8-5 victory before beating previously unbeaten Prairie View A&M 6-2 in the nightcap.

In the opener, Alabama State was held to just seven hits with Alex Massie (Pottsboro, Texas) the lone player recording multiple hits as she finished 2-for-3 with a run scored. Jazmine Dodd (Bentonville, Ark.) and Jaeda Gardner (Pike Road, Ala.) each picked up a pair of RBI in the win. Bailey Greenlee (Snohomish, Wash.) picked up the win to push the Hornets into the championship round, with a complete game effort giving up five runs (all earned) on nine hits with a pair of strikeouts.

Kindall DeRamus (Helena, Ala.) led Alabama State at the plate in the win over Prairie View A&M, finishing 3-for-4, while Alex Preston (Stockton, Calif.) went 2-for-4 with a double. Ashley Pye (Stockton, Calif.) picked up the win, working 4.0 innings and allowing two runs (both earned) on just one hit with six strikeouts, while Greenlee picked up the save working 3.0 innings and allowing just two hits with four strikeouts.

How It Happened (Game 1 vs. Jackson State)

• T1 | Lauren Stewart scored on a wild pitch before Isabel Gusman drove home a run with a sacrifice fly to center (2-0, Jackson State).
• B1 | Destinee Dixon (Bullard, Texas) singled home DeRamus for the first run (2-1, Alabama State).
• B2 | DeRamus drove home a run on an RBI groundout followed by a two-error off the bat of Dodd to give Alabama State the lead (4-2, Alabama State).
• T3 | Jackson State got back on the board with a single and bases-loaded walk (4-4).
• B3 | Gardner reached on an error allowing a run to score before Greenlee recorded an RBI with a groundout to give the Hornets the lead for good (7-4, Alabama State).
• B4 | Morgan Gaither (Brookwood, Ala.) drove home Dodd on an RBI groundout (8-4, Alabama State).
• T5 | The Tigers got an RBI single from Zoey Keyes for the final run (8-5, Alabama State).

How It Happened (Game 2 vs. PVAMU)

• B2 | Arianna Atchley (Millbrook, Ala.) drove in a run with a sacrifice fly before Gaither stole third and scored on an error (2-0, Alabama State).
• B3 | Dixon drove home DeRamus with a sacrifice fly (3-0, Alabama State).
• T4 | The Panthers got on the board with a bases-loaded walk (3-1, Alabama State).
• B4 | Gardner drove home a pair of runs with a single before Greenlee drove in another with a sacrifice fly (6-1, Alabama State).
• T5 | PVAMU got their final run across with a single to left (6-2, Alabama State).

Up Next
Alabama State softball and Prairie View A&M meet in the championship game Saturday morning, with first pitch scheduled for 11 am.

Follow the Hornets
For complete coverage of Alabama State University softball, follow the Hornets on social media @BamaStateSB (Twitter), /BamaStateSports (Facebook), @BamaStateSports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Alabama State athletics at BamaStateSports.com.

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MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Tuskegee softball (29-12, 18-1 SIAC) fell to host Auburn-Montgomery 7-3 in the opening round of the NCAA Division II South 1 Regional Tournament at the AUM Softball Complex on Thursday afternoon.
 
Auburn-Montgomery came out fast to start, scoring a pair of runs in the opening inning along with three more in the second to take a 5-0 lead heading into the third.
 
The Golden Tigers ended the shutout bid in the third after a Warhawk error allowed Makayla Betts (Harvest, Ala.) to reach first. She later scored after an RBI double from Kendra Gibbons (Lineville, Ala.) to right center to drive in Betts.

Tuskegee added another run on the next at-bat as Kaeley Roldan (Wahiawa, Hi.) singled to drive in Gibbons to bring the score to 5-2 heading into the fourth.
 
After another Warhawk run in the fifth, Tuskegee responded again in the top of the sixth as Cecelia Tennessee (Houston, Texas) doubled to center and later scored after consecutive errors from AUM to make the score 6-3.
 
AUM added another run to gain a four-score lead in the next inning, and Tuskegee could not rally to reduce the deficit.
 
Ayriana Stoneback (Notasulga, Ala.) picked up the loss in the circle, working six innings and giving up seven hits while striking out four. Meanwhile, three batters earned hits at the plate including Gibbons, Roldan, and Tennessee, with Gibbons and Tennessee also scoring runs on the day.
  
More information on Tuskegee softball in the NCAA south regional, including live stats, video links, ticketing, and directions, can be found on the tournament web page. 
 
Up Next
Tuskegee will return to the field on Friday, again at 3:30 p.m. to face fifth seed Alabama-Huntsville to stave off elimination. The winner will move on to play again at 6 p.m. Friday evening.

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SHIPPENSBURG, PA – The Claflin Softball Lady Panthers (21-14) gave a great effort, but the team came up short in a 3-0 loss to the Seton Hill Griffins (37-10), Thursday afternoon. The Lady Panthers gave a strong defensive effort, but the team could not get their offense going in the shutout loss.
 
The Lady Panthers found hits hard to come by in the tough loss. As a team, the Lady Panthers totaled just three hits in the game. Freshman outfielder Kennedy Baskerville, senior catcher Marion Goins, and junior first base Alexandria Beavers each recorded singles in the game.
 
Defense was the order of the day in the game as all three runs were scored on two plays. The Lady Panthers allowed a first inning run on an RBI single before allowing two more runs in the fourth inning on a two-RBI single.

Claflin softball senior Shaniya Thomas (8-7) took the pitching loss. She started the game and threw four innings for the Lady Panthers. She finished the game with three runs scored (three earned) on five hits with a strikeout. Fellow senior Bre’Zhay Thomas came in for two innings and she finished the game with no runs allowed on no hits with two strikeouts.
 
With the loss, the Lady Panthers fall to 21-14 overall. The team will head into an elimination game when they take on the Bloomsburg Huskies, tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 p.m. For more information on Lady Panthers softball, contact the Claflin University Office of Athletics Media Relations at (803) 535-5548 or log on to www.athletics.claflin.edu.

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NORFOLK, Va., May 12, 2022 — No. 1 Morgan State (MSU) defeated No. 2 Howard 12-5 in the 2022 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Championship on Thursday evening at the Norfolk State University Softball Field.

MSU (31-13) advances to Saturday’s championship game that will be streamed live on the MEAC Digital Network on YouTube.

Friday’s game schedule has been adjusted in anticipation of heavy rain in the Norfolk area. The semifinal games will now be played at 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. No. 3 Norfolk State and No. 6 Coppin State will kick things off in the early game and Howard (28-22) will take on the winner of that game in the nightcap. Times are subject to change based on weather conditions.

MSU struck early, picking up two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Howard responded in the top of the second with an RBI single by Luz Aguilasocho to bring the score to 2-1.

The Lady Bears blasted two home runs, a two-run homer by Cayla Sweazie and a solo shot by Asia Thomas, in the bottom of the frame to go up 5-1.

Not to be outdone, Alyssa Vasquez hit a two-run homer of her own to keep the Bison in the game and cut the lead to two (5-3).

The Lady Bears would go on to outscore Howard 7-2 in the last four innings to make it to Saturday’s big game.

Nine MSU players had at least one hit in the game. Thomas, Sweazie, Mia Ewell, and Madison Nunez each had a pair of hits. Melissa Paz improved to 5-2 on the season after tossing 4.0 innings and giving up three hits, four runs (three earned) and striking out one batter. Reliever Anaya Hunte had a four-hit, one-run outing to record her second save of the year. 

Vasquez led Howard offensively, going 3-for-4 with two runs and four RBIs. Pitcher Mia Gonzales fell to 4-6 on the year. She gave up three runs (one earned) and three hits in 2.1 innings of relief work.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Southwestern Athletic Conference announced its 2022 All-SWAC Softball teams and individual award winners on Tuesday morning. The all-conference honors were voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.  

Alabama State’s Kindall Deramus was named Player of the Year, while Bethune-Cookman’s Hannah Ortega was tabbed Pitcher of the Year and Freshman of the Year.

Prairie View A&M’s Biviana Figueroa was selected Newcomer of the Year and Hitter of the Year.

Bethune-Cookman’s Laura Watten was named Coach of the Year after leading Bethune-Cookman to a Eastern divisional title rounding out the list of individual award winners.

Player of the Year
Deramus hit a team-best .410 on the season from the leadoff position. She finished the regular season with a .950 OPS and went 64-for-156 at the plate. Deramus recorded seven doubles and three triples, while also scoring 39 runs and knocking in 25 RBIs. She finished with a .494 slugging percentage and a .456 on-base percentage while stealing 35 bases on 40 attempts. Deramus finished the year 19 multi-hit games and was a multiple time winner of the SWAC Hitter of the Week award this past season.

Pitcher of the Year/Freshman of the Year
Ortega concluded the 2022 regular season campaign by leading the SWAC in ERA (2.1), while ranking third in innings pitched (146.2) and fourth in strikeouts (96). She contributed an impressive 1.18 ERA in conference play to go along with a with 9-3 record and a .196 opponent batting average. She racked up a total of 56 strikeouts against league competition while helping the Wildcats capture the 2022 SWAC Eastern Division title.

Newcomer of the Year/Hitter of the Year
Figueroa leads the conference in hitting with a .478 average in a total of 113 at bats. During regular season play she amassed 54 hits and four home runs to go along with 33 RBIs. She has crossed home plate 27 times and currently holds a.717 slugging percentage. Figueroa was also named SWAC Hitter of the Week during regular season play.

Coach of the Year
During their debut season in the conference the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats finished regular season play with a 17-7 league record. Watten has the Wildcats clicking on all cylinders heading into the 2022 SWAC Softball Tournament having one 20 of their final 29 regular season games. The Wildcats currently lead the league in ERA (2.68) and also boast two of the conference’s top pitchers in Hannah Ortega and Halyne Gonzalez. At the conclusion of the regular season B-CU also led the SWAC in pitching and fielding.

The complete listing of all-conference selections and individual awards winners can be found below.

2022 All-SWAC Softball Team and Individual Awards

Player of the Year
Kindall Deramus, Alabama State

Hitter of the Year
Biviana Figueroa, Prairie View A&M

Pitcher of the Year
Hannah Ortega, Bethune-Cookman

Newcomer of the Year
Biviana Figueroa, Prairie View A&M

Freshman of the Year
Hannah Ortega, Bethune-Cookman

Coach of the Year
Laura Watten, Bethune-Cookman

First Team
C — Biviana Figueroa, Prairie View A&M
1B — Samaria Jackson, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
2B — Lauryn Gross, Alabama A&M
SS — Destiny Cuevas, Florida A&M
3B — Jaylyn Davis, Prairie View A&M
OF — Kindall Deramus, Alabama State
OF — Tevanae Tate, Texas Southern
OF — Allyson Riches, Alabama A&M
P —  Hannah Ortega, Bethune=Cookman
P —  Jazmine Gendorf, Texas Southern
P —  Halyne Gonzales, Bethune-Cookman
DP — Tamera McKnight, Texas Southern

Second Team
C — Destinee Dixon, Alabama State
1B — Mila Rodriguez, Texas Southern
2B — India Wells, Grambling State
SS — Briana Alston, Mississippi Valley State
3B — Tyesha Cole, Alcorn State
OF — Lauren Stewart, Jackson State
OF — Jazmine Dodd, Alabama State
OF — Jaylon Davis, Mississippi Valley State
P — Chris’Deona Beasley, Florida A&M
P — Bailey Greenlee, Alabama State
P — Daisy Page, Mississippi Valley State
DP — Carson Shelby, Mississippi Valley State

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SITES/PAIRINGS:
*Denotes host institution.

Atlantic 1 Region at Kutztown, Pennsylvania
1. *Kutztown (37-13)
2. Mercyhurst (32-14)
3. West Virginia Wesleyan (36-16-1)
4. Fairmont State (22-24)

Atlantic 2 Region at Shippensburg, Pennsylvania
1. Seton Hill (36-10)
2. Bloomsburg (28-18)
3. *Shippensburg (31-18)
4. Claflin (21-13)

Central 1 Region at Claremore, Oklahoma
1. *Rogers State (47-9)
2. Minnesota State Mankato (46-12)
3. Washburn (45-13)
4. Winona State (38-15)

Central 2 Region at Edmond, Oklahoma
1. *Central Oklahoma (45-10)
2. Augustana (South Dakota) (47-8)
3. Arkansas Tech (39-17)
4. Southern Arkansas (37-16)

South 1 Region at Montgomery, Alabama
1. *Auburn Montgomery (43-9)
2. Nova Southeastern (36-11)
3. Alabama Huntsville (38-15)
4. Tuskegee (24-7)

South 2 Region at in Tampa, Florida
1. *Tampa (35-11)
2. Valdosta State (34-11)
3. Rollins (31-10)
4. Embry-Riddle (Florida) (28-16)

East 1 Region at Garden City, New York
1. *Adelphi (41-11)
2. Caldwell (37-15)
3. St. Anselm (28-15)
4. Pace (27-19)

East 2 Region at Lakewood, New Jersey
1. *Georgian Court (38-13)
2. Wilmington (Delaware) (34-18)
3. Franklin Pierce (23-10)
4. Bridgeport (36-14)

Midwest 1 Region at Evansville, Indiana
1. *Southern Indiana (43-10)
2. Lindenwood (35-11)
3. Drury (36-15)
4. Saginaw Valley State (34-18)

Midwest 2 Region at Indianapolis, Indiana
1. *UIndy (47-8)
2. Grand Valley State (40-6)
3. Ohio Dominican (35-17)
4. Findlay (36-14)

South Central 1 Region at Tyler, Texas
1. *UT Tyler (39-5)
2. Lubbock Christian (37-10)
3. Angelo State (36-10)
4. Colorado Christian (49-8)

South Central 2 Region at Commerce, Texas
1. *Texas A&M-Commerce (42-13)
2. Texas A&M-Kingsville (43-9)
3. Oklahoma Christian (39-13)
4. St. Mary’s (Texas) (34-17)

Southeast 1 Region at Anderson, South Carolina
1. *Anderson (South Carolina) (37-7)
2. King (Tennessee) (41-15)
3. Lincoln Memorial (35-18)
4. Francis Marion (33-20)

Southeast 2 Region at Hickory, North Carolina
1. *Lenoir-Rhyne (37-14)
2. North Georgia (41-14)
3. Carson-Newman (35-16)
4. Wingate (35-17)

West 1 Region at San Marcos, California
1. *Cal State San Marcos (40-11)
2. Sonoma State (40-16)
3. Cal State Monterey Bay (37-21)
4. Northwest Nazarene (32-19)

West 2 Region at Irvine, California
1. Concordia University Irvine (43-8)
2. Chico State (36-15)
3. Cal State Dominguez Hills (36-19)
4. Azusa Pacific (35-15)

Conferences Receiving Automatic Qualification Berths
California Collegiate Athletic Association — Sonoma State University
Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference — Georgian Court University
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association — Claflin University
Conference Carolinas — King University
East Coast Conference — University of Bridgeport
Great American Conference — Arkansas Tech University
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference — Saginaw Valley State University
Great Lakes Valley Conference — University of Southern Indiana
Great Midwest Athletic Conference — Ohio Dominican University
Great Northwest Athletic Conference — Northwest Nazarene University
Gulf South Conference — Auburn University at Montgomery
Lone Star Conference — Texas A&M University-Commerce
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association — Rogers State University
Mountain East Conference — Fairmont State University
Northeast-10 Conference — Adelphi University
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference — Augustana University (South Dakota)
Pacific West Conference — Concordia University Irvine
Peach Belt Conference — University of North Georgia
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference — Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference — Colorado Christian University
South Atlantic Conference — Lincoln Memorial University
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference — Tuskegee University
Sunshine State Conference — Nova Southeastern University

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GLEN ALLEN, VA – The Claflin University Lady Panthers (21-13) claimed their first Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Softball Championship when the team took a 5-2 win over the Bowie State Bulldogs (25-20-1), Saturday afternoon. The Lady Panthers combined some stellar defense with some solid offense to claim the first CIAA championship in school history.
 
The Lady Panthers saved one of their best defensive efforts of the season for Lady Panthers. The team held the hard-hitting Bowie State Bulldogs to just two runs despite allowing five hits in the game. The Lady Panthers used some small ball to claim the win as none of the team’s seven hits were extra base hits. Claflin senior outfielder Camryn Hollis led the way when she went one-for-three at the plate with two runs scored. Junior short stop Jaelyn Jackson added a pair of RBI as well.

 It took a while for the Lady Panthers to get things going, but once the team got rolling, they never looked back. The team got things going in the third inning when junior third base Kyra Shuler scored on a BSU fielding error. The Lady Panthers added two more runs when Jackson hit a two-RBI single to leave the Lady Panthers on top, 3-0. The Lady Panthers held on to their 3-0 lead until the fifth inning when they allowed a pair of runs to Bowie State. It was an RBI single followed by an RBI double that cut the Claflin lead down to just one run, 3-2. From there, the Lady Panthers answered in the fifth inning when a Bowie State wild pitch allowed Hollis to score and kept the Lady Panthers on top, 4-2. Claflin added another run in the sixth inning when Howard hit an RBI sacrifice fly ball to score freshman right fielder Kennedy Baskerville. From there, the Lady Panthers turned to their defense to claim the win. It was a double play from third base Kyra Shuler that sealed the victory.
 
Claflin senior pitcher Bre’Zhay Chambers (10-5) took the pitching victory after earning the start and going all seven innings for the Lady Panthers. She finished the game with two runs allowed (two earned) on five hits with sox strikeouts.
 
With the win, the Lady Panthers claim the 2022 CIAA Softball Championship and the automatic qualification for the 2022 NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Tournament. The Lady Panthers will await selection for the tournament, Monday morning at 10:00 a.m. For more information on Lady Panthers softball, contact the Claflin University Office of Athletics Media Relations at (803) 535-5548 or log on to www.athletics.claflin.edu.

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PINE BLUFF, Ark. — For the 12^th year in a row, the SWAC Western Division softball title will remain at Texas Southern as they swept Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday.

TSU 11, UAPB 1
In game one, TSU belted out 15 hits and scored in nearly every inning as they run-ruled UAPB 11-1.

TSU once again wasted no time in generating offense as Daryn Haslam drove in Ashling Shahan in the first. Jordan McClain’s two-RBI single in the second upped the lead to 3-0 as Pamela Richardson and Crimson Davis both scored.

Tevanae Tate’s two-run homer scored Mila Rodriguez in the third as TSU led 5-0 after the top of the third. Daryn Haslam moved the score to 7-0 after a two-RBI single followed by Mila Rodriguez’s RBI single and Tierrah Willams’ RBI triple as the lead grew to 9-0. Pamela Richardson’s two-RBI double moved the lead to double digits as TSU led 11-0.

UAPB crossed home a run in the fourth but that would be its only score as TSU recorded the run-rule.

Richardson led TSU with a 3-for-3 performance as she drove in two RBI and scored a run. Shahan, Rodriguez, McClain, Williams and Haslam all had two hits while Haslam, Richardson, McClain and Tate all drove in multiple RBI led by three from Haslam.

Lailah Bell struck out three and allowed only one run as she went the distance on the mound.

TSU 9, UAPB 5
 TSU overcame a one-run deficit with six runs over the final four innings as they closed out the series with a 9-5 win.

Tierrah Williams started the scoring off with a two-RBI single as Daryn Haslam and Jordan McClain both scored for the 2-0 lead in the first inning. Pamela Richardson’s RBI single moved TSU ahead 3-0 as Mila Rodriguez scored.

A two-run homer in the bottom frame drew UAPB to within 3-2. They would eventually take a 4-3 lead on a two-RBI double in the second.

TSU opened with a leadoff double from Richardson in the fourth before eventually tying the game at 4-all on a fielder’s choice. An Ashling Shahan bunt scored Ja’Lynn Swiney for a 5-4 decision followed by McClain’s RBI single as TSU led 6-4. Shahan and McClain’s RBI’s in the fifth moved TSU ahead 8-4 but UAPB closed to within 8-5 on a run in the fifth. However, TSU would hold them scoreless from that point as Swiney would score on a UAPB error in the seventh.

Shahan led TSU with a 3-for-5 outing with two RBI while McClain, Davis and Richardson all had two hits. McClain, Williams and Swiney also had multiple RBI followed by Davis’ two runs.

Nora Rodriguez improved to 4-2 as she struck out five in three innings before giving way to Tierra Williams.

TSU is back in action for its final SWAC series of the season on Friday against Alcorn State at Memorial Park for a 3 p.m. start.

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Mo’ne Davis was on the call for the Little League Classic between the Los Angeles Angels and the Cleveland Indians on ESPN2 this past Sunday. This Tuesday she is set to be a broadcaster for the Little League World Series game at 7:30 pm on ESPN. Davis appeared on the Little League World Series KidsCast in 2019 and is back for her second summer.

“I just love being around sports, and being able to talk about them from my standpoint is really cool,” Davis told The Washington Post in an interview. “Especially sports that I’ve played, being able to see them from an outside perspective and relate them to people, it’s something I’d like to do in the future, something that I’m still working on.”

TWITTER REACTS

The sports world reacted on Twitter as baseball fans got a blast from the past after seeing Davis on ESPN.

Matt Vasgersian, the play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Angels, joked that Mo’ne Davis is already a better broadcaster than Alex Rodriguez. A wise man (J-Cole) said that all good jokes contain truth and it may apply here. Davis surely brought a fresh flair to the broadcast.

You do not see many black women on MLB broadcasts and it was refreshing to see Mo’ne Davis representing one again.

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT AT THE PLATE AND IN THE BOOTH

Davis was throwing 70MPH fastballs during the 2014 Little League World Series but has since taken her talents to the infield at Hampton. She finished her freshman year third in chances (77), and putouts (46) in a shortened 2020 season. Her stats included a .333 batting average, .357 slugging pct., and a .423 on-base pct. Davis also had three multiple-hit games and two multiple RBI’s games.

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This marked the highest run total in a MEAC softball tournament game since Florida A&M scored 15 runs in a win over Norfolk State in 2016. Bethune-Cookman also put up 17 runs in a 2011 tournament game against Howard.

The Spartans (20-17) advance to the next round of the MEAC Softball championships on Friday at 12 p.m., where they’ll play the winner of Thursday afternoon’s Morgan State-North Carolina Central contest.

The Aggies fall to the elimination bracket, next playing Friday at 3 p.m. against the loser of Morgan State-North Carolina Central.

Yrral Davis got things going for the Spartans, the No. 2 seed in the Northern Division, in the third with a three-run triple down the first base line to give Norfolk State a 7-2 lead at the time. Jazzmaine Hammond followed with a two-run home run to left center to extend the Spartans’ lead.

Tuli Iosefa also got in on the action in the third with a two-run homer of her own over the center field wall to give the Spartans an 11-2 lead.

The Spartans added a run in the fourth, when Lily Potter, who had reached and advanced to third on a dropped fly ball, scored on a throwing error when Jade Dixon stole second. Imani Moore followed later in the inning to score three more runs and take a 15-2 lead.

Moore then scored on a Brooke Bond sacrifice fly to give the Spartans a 16-2 lead. Denisha Megginson followed with an RBI single to grow the lead to 17-2.

Norfolk State scored two runs in the first inning, when Iosefa and Imani Moore both scored an error. The Spartans added two more in the second to take an early 4-1 lead over the Aggies.

North Carolina A&T State (11-30), the top seed from the Southern Division, scored a run in the first on a throwing error, and Kayla Taylor added a solo home run in the second to give the Aggies their two runs.

A bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the fifth cut the lead to 17-3.

Alexis Robinson gave up just 2 hits and 3 runs in 4.2 innings of work to get the win, her sixth of the season.

Moore was 4-for-4 at the plate with two doubles, three RBIs and three runs scored. Iosefa also scored three times and had two RBIs.

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Tallahassee, Fla. – The Florida A&M University Rattlers Softball Complex, home of the 13-time Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) champion, FAMU softball team, is receiving a major upgrade ahead of the 2021 softball season.
 
FAMU is set to install a brand-new state-of-the-art playing surface, provided by AstroTurf, at the 37-year-old complex; replacing the clay in-field and natural grass outfield currently in place.

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 “We are extremely excited about the first phase of enhancements to the softball complex,” said Florida A&M University VP and Director of Athletics, Kortne Gosha. “Florida A&M athletics would like to thank the Hassel Tooks Recreation Center, Student Government Association, immediate past President Rochard Moricette along with current President Xavier McClinton for their unwavering support for this project.”

AstroTurf is no stranger to Florida A&M University, as the company installed a new artificial playing surface inside Bragg Memorial Stadium during the summer of 2018.
 
The installation is one of a hand-full of facility upgrades happening within the department. Currently, the Galimore-Powell Field-house is undergoing a face-lift with the home and visiting locker rooms, weight room, training room and coaches’ offices; all are in the process of being renovated. In addition, baseball, men’s and women’s track and tennis programs are preparing to move into their new lockerrooms later this year.
 
The softball complex also received a new Daktronics scoreboard earlier this summer, as the last scoreboard lost functionality due to being struck by lightning.

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“We are excited to implement a major facility enhancement for one of our elite female programs,” said Associate AD for Administration and Operations, Michael Johnson. “The technology of the synthetic turf will create a major competitive advantage for our program and allow for multi-purpose use for other campus partners such as intramurals or external constituents. The cost savings of annual field maintenance can now go directly back into enhancing our program.”

 AstroTurf will be installing their Rhino SF playing surface, which is built for high use and noted for its exceptional resistance to wear. The project will reduce program expenses and annual maintenance cost dramatically, and afford our team the ability to use the surface for practice or play no matter the weather conditions.
 
Installation is scheduled to begin on Aug. 3 and will take five weeks to complete.

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ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Today the St. Louis Cardinals, in conjunction with Cardinals Care and Harris-Stowe State University held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of the $1.2 million Stars Park field renovation and construction project.  Stars Park at Harris-Stowe State University served as the home of the St. Louis Stars of the Negro National League from 1922-31. 

“The Cardinals are thrilled to partner with Harris-Stowe on this project that will provide state-of-the-art baseball and softball facilities to the student athletes at the university on such an important historic landmark,” said Michael Hall, Vice President of Community Relations and Executive Director of Cardinals Care.

“I would like to express my sincere thanks to the St. Louis Cardinals, and Cardinals Care for their generous donation to Harris-Stowe State University. Their continued investment serves as a testament of dedication to the entire St. Louis community. This investment also improve Harris-Stowe State University’s ability to attract and retain the most talented student-athletes, and to preserve a part of baseball history,” said Dorianne Johnson, Harris-Stowe State University Director of Athletics.

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The state-of-the-art NAIA level baseball and softball field renovation is the result of a seven-figure investment by Cardinals Care and six-figure investment by Harris-Stowe that will include fully irrigated fields, seating for 200 at the baseball field and 100 at the softball field, enclosed press boxes, enclosed NAIA level dugouts, and new scoreboards.

2020 marks the 100^th anniversary of the Negro Leagues.  Negro League championships were played at Stars Park in 1924, 1928, 1930 and 1931, with the home team winning three out of the four.  Three National Baseball Hall of Famers including, James “Cool Papa” Bell, Willie “El Diablo” Wells, and George “Mule” Suttles, called Stars Park their home field.  The field is located on the southwest corner of the Harris-Stowe campus on the corner of Market Street and Compton Ave.

Clayco is leading the construction of the field.  The project is expected to take three months. The renovated park will be formally dedicated mid-October.

“Clayco is excited to be involved in this historic project as we continue our partnership with the St. Louis Cardinals and our commitment to the St. Louis community, “said Rick Moeckel, Executive VP, Institutional Business Unit, Clayco.

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About Cardinals Care

Cardinals Care was established to give fans a way of teaming up with Cardinals players and the organization to help children in our community–both on and off the baseball field.  Established in 1997, Cardinals Care has invested over $22 million to support St. Louis area children and built or renovated 24 youth ball fields in local under-resourced neighborhoods.

About Harris Stowe State University

Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU), located in midtown St. Louis offers the most affordable bachelor’s degree in the state of Missouri. The University is a fully accredited four-year institution with 50 majors, minors and certificate programs in education, business and arts and sciences. Harris-Stowe’s mission is to provide outstanding educational opportunities for individuals seeking a rich and engaging academic experience. HSSU’s programs are designed to nurture intellectual curiosity and build authentic skills that prepare students for leadership roles in a global society.

About Clayco

Clayco is a full-service, turnkey real estate development, master planning, architecture, engineering, and construction firm that safely delivers clients across North America the highest quality solutions on time, on budget, and above and beyond expectations. With $3.25 billion in revenue for 2019, Clayco specializes in the “art and science of building,” providing fast track, efficient solutions for industrial, commercial, institutional and residential related building projects. For more information visit www.claycorp.com

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“The Council’s decision gives individual schools the flexibility to make decisions at a campus level,” said Council chair M. Grace Calhoun, athletics director at Penn. “The Board of Governors encouraged conferences and schools to take action in the best interest of student-athletes and their communities, and now schools have the opportunity to do that.”

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The decision also gave the flexibility to make the money side work out. Financial aid rules are being adjusted to allow teams to carry additional scholarships. Some schools might have an influx on the roster with incoming recruits and student-athletes who decided to stay. Schools will have the flexibility to not apply the same amount of athletics aid in 2020-21 as it did last season. That flexibility only applies toward student-athletes who would have otherwise exhausted eligibility in 2019-20.

Schools can use the NCAA’s Student Assistance Fund to pay for scholarships for those staying the extra year.

The Council also increased the roster limit in baseball for student-athletes. Baseball is the only spring sport with such a limit.

The Division II committee had previously announced that its spring-sport athletes would be granted an extra year of eligibility.

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NEW ORLEANS – Xavier University of Louisiana announced Tuesday the hiring of Leslie Ballard as head coach of its recently launched softball program. She will begin her duties Monday (March 9, 2020).

“After a thorough national search, we are delighted to have someone with Leslie Ballard’s experience join the Xavier community,” XULA President Dr. Reynold Verret said. “We are excited to match our talented future student-athletes with coach Ballard’s background and dedication to create a great debut for Xavier softball. It will be fun to watch coach Ballard develop her program as it pursues success on the regional and national levels.”

Said Ballard: “I thank Xavier University of Louisiana for choosing me for this great opportunity. – I am beyond honored! To be able to start a program has really been a dream of mine, and now it’s becoming a reality. I’m blessed to have been chosen to do something that I’m very passionate about. The people that I’ve encountered here at Xavier have been nothing but kind and genuine to me throughout this process. They accepted me with open arms. The support of Xavier and the community is very comforting.

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 “I want to compete from the start even though we’re getting a late start with recruiting. I have the utmost confidence that this program will be competitive. My goals are to ensure that these ladies get a fine education and are able to compete within our league and nationally. I love the challenge of preparing our student-athletes for real life through the game of softball. I love what I do!”
    

Ballard is in her third season as head coach at Lane College, an NCAA Division II and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference member in Jackson, Tenn. Ballard’s best season was in 2019 when the Dragons:
     •  Were 2-0 against SIAC regular-season champion Spring Hill – the Badgers’ only blemishes on a 17-2 conference record in 2019.
     •  Led the SIAC and ranked 11th in NCAA Division II with a .338 team batting average.
     •  Ranked seventh in NCAA Division II in stolen bases per game.
    

“Xavier University is excited to welcome coach Ballard to Team Gold as the leader of our new softball program,” said Jason Horn, XULA’s assistant vice president for student affairs/director of athletics and recreation. “Leslie brings to Xavier great passion and energy for softball and the all-around development of student-athletes. We look forward to supporting Leslie as she builds this program into a national contender.”
    

Ballard is a native of Nashville, Tenn., and a graduate of Lane, where she pitched and was second-team All-SIAC her senior year. That same season she was named to the SIAC All-Academic team.
    

XULA announced Sept. 24 that softball would compete in the 2020-21 academic year. The Gold Nuggets will compete for regional and national honors in the NAIA, which has 201 softball teams in 2019-20.

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In a wild finish to the Hampton Classic, Janae Lyles capped a five-run bottom of the seventh with a two-run walk-off blast to left field as Hampton rallied to defeat Howard 7-5 on Sunday.  The Lady Pirates went 5-1 on the weekend as they defeated Morehead State 10-2 in game one.

With one out in the seventh, Mo’ne Davis singled and scored as Skylar Chavez smacked a two-run home run to left.  Jackie Gonzalez reached second on an error and scored as Tiera Washington singled up the middle to plate Gonzalez to tie the game at five.  Casey Walker pinch-ran for Washington and stole second before moving to third on a passed ball.  Lyles then smacked a 2-0 pitch over the left field fence for the win.

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Hampton (12-3) got on the board against Howard with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Chavez reached on an error and advanced on a single by Gonzalez.  Both runners moved up one on a groundout and Chavez scored on a groundout by Jeusi.  Gonzalez scored as Lyles reached on an error to lead 2-0.

Howard tied the game with a two-run fifth on a double by Te’La Beard and a single by Xzarria Simmons to even the game.  The Bison took the lead with a leadoff home run by Ayana Sallee to lead 3-2 after six.  A two-run single by Kalita Dennis gave the visitors a 5-2 lead.

Davis was 2-for-3 with a run scored and Washington was 2-for-4 with one driven in to lead the hitting attack.  Chavez and Lyles each had two-run home runs to lead the RBI attack.  Kennedy Hickey earned win number four on the year throwing the last two innings and striking out one.

Game One: Morehead State

In game one, the Lady Pirates got on the board quickly with three runs in the bottom of the first inning.  Skylar Chavez walked and advanced to third as a sacrifice bunt from Jackie Gonzalez was thrown away.  After two outs, Janae Lyles smacked a three-run home run to left field for the early lead.

In the second, with two outs, Mo’ne Davis walked and went to second on a wild pitch before scoring on a Chavez double to push the lead to 4-0.

Morehead State scratched a run in the top of the third, but Hampton answered with two runs.  Tiara Washington walked and Kiaya Jeusi singled pinch-runner Casey Walker to second.  Lyles followed with a double down the left field line to score Walker.  A wild pitch allowed the second run to score in the inning as Hampton held a 6-1 lead.

The Lady Pirates scored two more in the bottom of the fifth as Lexi Lomax tripled to right center to score Brianna Anderson and Lyles for an 8-1 lead.

Mercy Rule

The Eagles smacked a run across in the top of the sixth on a home run by Kirya Kingery to trail 8-2.  Hampton ended the game via the run-rule with two runs in the bottom of the sixth as Chavez homered to center.  After the second out, Washington singled through the left side and scored on a double to center by Jeusi.

Lyles and Chavez each were 2-for-3 with two runs scored.  Chavez drove in two, while Lyles drove in four runs.  Jeusi joined them in the multi-hit club with a 2-for-4 performance.  Lomax was 1-for-3 with her two-run triple.

Emily Workman got her first win of the season throwing four innings and allowing three hits with three strikeouts.

Hampton returns to action on Friday, March 6 in the Pirate Invitational with Saint Peter’s at noon and Delaware at 2 pm.

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GAME ONE-SATURDAY: NC Central 6, Harvard 4

Sophomore catcher Madison Mifsud drove in a pair of runs and the Eagles made a three-run first inning hold up for their first win of the year. Freshman Maegan Garrison scored twice for the Eagles.

The Crimson outhit NCCU, 11-2, but they left 13 runners on base. Campbell managed to strand Harvard runners on base each inning to secure her first pitching win since her freshman season.

A pair of Harvard runs led to five unearned runs for the Eagles.

Juniors Nadia Blevins and Joirea Dumas accounted for NCCU’s two hits with consecutive singles to start the three-run rally in the home half of the first.

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GAME TWO-SATURDAY: Furman 13, NC Central 2

The Eagles scored two more unearned runs in the sixth inning to avoid being shutout. The Paladins won for a third time in four tries over the first two days of the tournament by belting out 15 hits.

Natalie Morgan paced the victors with four hits, including a home run and a triple. Morgan finished with four RBI, three runs scored and a stolen base.

Freshman Sanajae Sankey produced half of NCCU’s four hits with singles in both the fifth and the sixth. Her second base hit drove in a run. Garrison and junior Kaitlyn Macon scored the two maroon and gray runs.

Morgan Smith limited NCCU to just two runs to earn the complete-game victory for the Paladins.

Blevins and Dumas also notched hits as they hit safely in both games Saturday.

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Game Three-Sunday: Harvard 19, NC Central 0

The North Carolina Central University softball started Sunday’s finale of the Red and Black Tournament with two consecutive hits, but from that point Harvard University took over on the way to a 19-0 win at Brinkley Stadium.

The first 10 Crimson batters all reached and scored in the bottom of the first as Harvard scored 13 total runs in the opening frame before winning by 19 runs.

Morgan Melito had a double and a home run for the victors and finished with three RBI and three runs scored. Trina Hoang had a team-best four RBI on three hits.

Harvard (2-8) scored its 19 runs on 16 hits, one walk, three hit batters and four NCCU errors.

The Eagles began the morning game with consecutive singles off the bats of senior Tamiera Sanchez and junior Nadia Blevins. However, freshman starting pitcher Lindsay Poulos (2-3) would not allow another hit over her three innings of work to earn the win. NCCU would not record another hit for the rest of the contest.

Sanchez has reached base safely in seven straight games and Blevins has a four game streak after their singles against the Crimson.

NC Central (1-13) will finally make its home debut at Thomas Brooks Park in Cary on Wednesday when the Eagles host Radford University in a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.

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GREENVILLE, N.C. — Kiaya Jeusi went 3-for-4 with two doubles and scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh as Hampton came back to defeat DePaul 8-7 in the final day of the Pirate Clash.

She started the inning with a single and advanced to third with one out on a bunt attempt by Lexi Lomax resulted in an errant throw by the pitcher.  Janae Lyles followed with s shot up the middle that the shortstop’s throw home was late allowing Jeusi to score the winning run.

HOW IT HAPPENED

After giving up a run in the first, Hampton tied it in the home half of the inning as Jacki Gonzalez started with a single and advanced on a bunt by Skylar Chavez.  Tiera Washington followed with a single to left to even the game at one.
DePaul pushed two across in the top of the second but Hampton responded with two.  Brianna Anderson started with a double and scored on a two-out double by Mo’ne Davis.  After a walk to Gonzalez, Chavez plated Davis with a single for a 3-3 score.
The Blue Demons took a 6-3 lead after a three-run top of the third on a two-run single by Poulcha who scored on a single by Young.
Hampton started the comeback with a run in the fourth as Lyles started with a double to center.  Pinch-runner Kennedi Bedell moved to third on a flyout by Davis and scored on a single by Gonzalez.
DePaul pushed the lead to 7-4 on a solo home run by Poulcha in the fifthm but Hampton put up three in its half of the inning to tie the game.  Washington was hit by a pitch and pinch-runner Casey Walker went to second on a single by Emily Kepple. 
Ynediah Kilby ran for Kepple and scored along with Walker on a two-run double by Jeusi.  She advanced to third on a sac bunt by Lomax and scored on a Lyles groundout to tie the game 7-all.

BEHIND THE NUMBERS

Jeusi was 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBIs to lead the Lady Pirates.
Gonzalez and Washington were 2-for-3, while Lyles drove in a pair along with Jeusi.
Noelle Doan came in relief of starter Emily Workman and earned her fourth win on the year and third of the weekend.  She threw the last four innings allowing only one run and striking out three.

NEXT UP

Hampton will play its first home games of the season starting on Friday with the Pirate Classic starting with Hartford at noon and Youngstown State at 2 pm.
For more information on Hampton University softball, please contact the Office of Sports Information at 757-727-5757 or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

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GREENSBORO, N.C. — Emily Kepple and Kiaya Jeusi had three hits each, while Jeusi and Jacki Gonzalez drove in three runs apiece as Hampton defeated future conference member N.C. A&T 15-4 in the softball season opener on Saturday.

Game two was stopped after three innings due to darkness and will not be finished.

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Hampton jumped out to a 3-0 lead after four innings and then broke it open for a five-run fifth inning.  Jeusi drove in two with a single and Mo’ne Davis drove in two with a single to right.  Gonzalez sac bunt scored the fifth run to put Hampton up 8-0.

The host Aggies pushed four across in the home half of the fifth to extend the game.  Hampton then broke the game open with a seven-run sixth.

Noelle Doan got the win with 4.1 innings and five strikeouts.  Tiera Washington had two hits and drove in two, while Davis was 1-for-3 with a run scored and driving in two.

Hampton now will participate in the East Carolina Pirate Invitational on Friday with a pair of games against George Washington (10am) and East Carolina (3 pm).

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INSTITUTE, WV — The #7 Winston-Salem State Rams (33-13) ended their terrific season when the team took an 8-0 loss to the #2 West Virginia State Yellowjackets (34-15) in the elimination round of the 2019 NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Tournament. The loss ends a historic season for the Rams that saw the team reach new heights. 

The loss came in spite of a solid overall game by the Rams. As a team, WSSU totaled five hits in the game, but the team was hampered by five errors in the loss. Junior second base Daijah Chambers led the way for the Rams with a two-for-three batting performance. The Rams also got hits from junior outfielder Shauntaja Dedecker, freshman third base Alleigh Himes, and senior Destiny Snipes.

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The Rams allowed a hot start to the Yellowjackets and the team was never quite able to get into a scoring groove in the game. The team allowed five first-inning runs to the Yellowjackets. The Rams also allowed a pair of second-inning runs to fall behind 7-0. The Rams allowed one more fourth inning run to fall behind 8-0 heading into the fifth inning. WSSU was able to get a pair of fifth-inning singles, but a two-out groundout with runners at first and second ended the game.

WSSU sophomore Tia Robinson (15-4) took the pitching loss. She threw four innings for the Rams with eight runs allowed (two earned) on seven hits with two strikeouts.

With the loss, the Rams finish the 2019 season with a 33-13 record and a #7 ranking in the 2019 NCAA Division II Atlantic Region, the highest in school history. 

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The Rams took the win behind a solid overall effort, but the win was a dramatic one. As a team, the Rams totaled seven hits in the game while allowing 11 to the Panthers. WSSU junior second base Daijah Chambers led the way with a two-for-three batting effort with two runs scored and two RBI. Senior outfielder Destiny Snipes made the most of her last trip to the CIAA tournament when she hit a two-run home run.

The game was a defensive struggle for both teams early, but both teams ramped things up late to make a dramatic game. The Rams jumped out early with a four-run performance in the fourth inning Chambers got things started with a two-RBI single that was followed by Snipes’ two-run homer. It was then Claflin’s turn as the Rams allowed four unanswered runs. The Rams allowed a run in the fifth and sixth innings respectively before allowing two seventh-inning runs to tie the game 4-4. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Rams got a foul ball flyout that led to Chambers advancing to third base on the tag. However, Claflin’s throw to third base went awry and Chambers was able to score and sealed the win and the championship.

Junior Erica Davis (14-7) took the pitching win. She threw all seven innings for the Rams and allowed four runs (four earned) with three strikeouts on 10 hits.

With the win, the Rams claim the 2019 CIAA Softball Championship and an automatic bid to the 2019 NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Tournament. The Rams will now await seeding for the tournament.

As great as the end of the game was, it might not have been as good as the post game celebration. The team rolled back out to the diamond to do a stroll to the Souljah Boy classic “Donk” which was worth waiting for.

Gotta love HBCU Sports.

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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Sophomore pitcher Kiara Hurley kept a nationally-ranked team to just four hits and one run as the North Carolina Central University softball team knocked off University of North Carolina, 3-1, Tuesday evening at Anderson Stadium.

The Lady Eagles broke through with three runs in the fourth on a go-ahead single by freshman Madison Mifsud and a two-run single by sophomore Jessica Powell.

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It was all the run support Hurley needed as she kept the Tar Heels off the board until the final inning. UNC did attempt a late rally scoring one run in the bottom of the seventh. The hosts had the potential game-tying runners on second and third when Hurley induced a game-ending groundout to first before the Lady Eagles dugout erupted in celebration.

NCCU finishes its regular season with four consecutive wins and a 21-24 record. The 21 wins are the most by the Eagles in the programs’ NCAA Division I era.

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North Carolina concluded its regular season at 33-17. The Tar Heels are ranked No. 24 in the current Softball America Top-25 Poll and they are sitting just outside the top-25 poll receiving votes in the other rankings conducted by USA Today/NFCA Coaches and ESPN.com/USA Softball.

After three scoreless innings, NCCU scratched out three runs off the ace of the Tar Heels pitching staff in left-handed junior Brittany Pickett. Junior Dalika Wallace was plunked by Pickett to start the one-out rally. Sophomore Olivia Daniel then had an infield single before Misfud drove in Wallace for the first run with a seeing-eyed single up the middle. Another infield single by senior Aleyah Evans set-up a two-run single to left by Powell that plated pinch runner Tehillah Duffy and Mifsud.

Hurley allowed a two-out single in the bottom of the first, but then held North Carolina without another hit until the seventh inning. Hurley, who retired nine batters in a row at one time, improved to 16-13 on the season and fanned three Tar Heels.

NC Central will await the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference to announce the 2019 MEAC Softball Championship brackets next week. The league tournament will return to Ormond Beach, Florida, and will start on Wednesday, May 8.

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Game One – Howard wins, 5-4

It looked like a potential blowout for the Lady Bears after leading 4-0 until the bottom of the 4th inning. A Damali Young RBI led to Mikaela Browdy to home. Browdy was not done as she later hit a double in the 4th inning. But after that, the Lady Bears went scoreless as the Bison heated up their bats.

Xzarria Simmons and Kalita Dennis were big for HU, both getting two hits and scoring later in the game. A single from Sienna Herrera clinched the winning run as Camille Navarro scored in the bottom of the 8th inning.

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Game Two – Morgan State wins, 7-6

The Bison started game two just like they ended game one, by scoring. They scored two quick runs in the 1st inning. Going into the 3rd, their lead was 2-1 until the Lady Bears exploded for six runs in the same inning. In her only hit of the day, Meikel Turner’s single advanced Sarah Heagy to home. A few minutes later, Haylee Bobos hit an absolute bomb to left field. Her grand slam pushed their lead by 5 runs. It was a damaging inning for the Bison defense and overall, they could not get back on top after it.

Game Three – Morgan State wins, 8-4

After letting up a homer from Breanna Robinson in the 3rd and allowing two more runs in the 5th inning, the Lady Bears were looking at a 4-2 deficit coming into the 6th inning. A Bobos homer in the 6th tied the game. Coming off that momentum, the Lady Bears went on to score four more runs in the 7th inning, shutting down the Bison bats on the defensive side as well. Damali Youg, who is MSU’s all-time hits leader, gained 3 hits and scored twice in the comeback win.

Overall, the Lady Bears came out on top in the series but the games showed how talented both programs are. Howard will face Coppin State in their next series while Morgan State will face Maryland-Eastern Shore

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“This team is used to quitting, giving up,” Montgomery said.

“We want to fight until the end, no matter what the scoreboard looks like.”

Montgomery also said communication will be key to the Tigers success on the field

“It’s a team sport and it takes everybody to be on the same page communicating the same information to be successful,” Montgomery said.

The Jackson State softball team kicked off the season Friday as the Tigers travel to Hattiesburg, Mississippi for the Black and Gold Invitational at the University of Southern Mississippi.

The Tigers will play four games over the weekend, beginning at 3:30 p.m. Friday and 12:30 p.m. Saturday against the University of Central Arkansas. Then, later on Saturday afternoon, the JSU will play Houston Baptist and ending the tournament on Sunday morning against Tennessee Tech.

Jackson State finished the 2018 season at 9-31 and 3-15 in Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play.

The Tigers return some key players from a year ago along with some new faces that include first baseman Alexis Hanspard, outfielder Kelsey Smith, shortstop Kayla Owens and third baseman Yasmin Melero.

Hanspard finished the 2018 season with the fifth-best batting average in the SWAC (.402), recording nine runs, 41 hits, 15 RBIs, eight doubles and two home runs.

Smith, who was selected for preseason First-Team All-SWAC softball honors, played in 36 games last season and recorded a batting average of .327 with 19 RBIs, 10 doubles, two home runs and a triple. The Waynesboro, Mississippi native also slugged .505.

Owens finished fourth in the SWAC in on-base percentage in 2018.

Melero, a third baseman, begins her first year in a Tigers’ uniform. The El-Paso, Texas native comes to Jackson State as a junior transfer from Navarro Community College.

Melero said the team is really starting to come together as the season begins.

“I feel like we’ve all grown a lot as a team,” Melero said.

“We’re really far along as far as all of the adversity we faced in the fall and stuff like that. I feel like we are actually a team now.”

As the season starts, Melero said communication and her teammates holding each other accountable will be key throughout the season.

“We kind of started to understand what it means to play for the person right next to you and play for the people on the field with you and play for the name on the front and not the back,” Melero said.

The Tigers were predicted to finish fifth in the SWAC East in the preseason conference rankings.

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Savannah State 9, Hampton 3

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. — DaSha Hill and Alana VanDenburg had three hits apiece for Hampton, but Savannah State scored seven runs in the last two innings to pull away for a 9-3 win in the 2018 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament opener on Wednesday.

With the loss, Hampton (22-27) drops to the elimination bracket where they’ll face Coppin State at noon on Thursday.  A win will put them into another contest at 5pm at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex.

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Morgan State 2, North Carolina Central 0

Morgan State University scratched out two early runs and made it stick in holding North Carolina Central University scoreless in a quick 2-0 win in the opening round of the 2018 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Championship Tournament at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex Wednesday afternoon.

The Lady Bears, who are the top-seed from the Northern Division, improved to 28-15 overall and will play the winner of the of the No. 2S seeded Florida A&M University versus No. 3N seeded Delaware State University game on Thursday at 3 p.m. The fourth-seeded Lady Eagles (17-25) from the Southern Division will play the loser of that FAMU/DSU game in an elimination game on Thursday at Noon. If NCCU stays alive, it will play a second elimination game Thursday at 5 p.m.

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Florida A&M 8, Delaware State 4

The FAMU Women’s Softball team unleashed a 14-hit attack here Wednesday afternoon to down the Delaware State Hornets, 8-4, in the opening round of the 2018 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Softball Championship.

FAMU (21-27), the No. 2 Seed from the South Division, advances to Thursday’s winner’s bracket second round, where they will face Morgan State (28-15), the No. 1 Seed from the North Division, at 3:00 p.m.

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Bethune-Cookman 4, Coppin State 1

 So, what did Head Coach Laura Watten like the most about Iesha Waters‘ pair of clutch hits in Bethune-Cookman’s 4-1 its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament opening victory over Coppin State Wednesday at Ormond Beach Sports Complex?

“That they were clutch hits,” said Watten now 12-0 in MEAC tournament openers.

Simple enough.  Waters twice drove home Ryan Jackson — the second time sparking a three-run sixth inning as Bethune-Cookman advanced to play Savannah State, a 9-3 winner over Hampton Thursday at 3 p.m.

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Alabama A&M 5, Prairie View A&M 3

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A walk-off two-run triple by Kia Lang lifted Alabama A&M to a 5-3 win over Prairie View A&M in the opening game of the 2018 SWAC Softball Tournament.

With the contest tied 3-3, Alabama A&M’s Lauren Walker singled to right and motored to third after a misplay in the field. Two batters later, Lang ripped a Crystal Castillo offering to the warning track to vault the Lady Bulldogs (22-19) to the next round.

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Alabama State 9, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 4

Charlene Castro drove in four runs, and Casey Durham scored three runs as Alabama State cruised to a — victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, moving on in the winner’s bracket.

Alabama State wasted no time getting its offense going as Hatty Shope doubled and Casey Durham drew a walk. Castro put the Lady Hornets on the board with an RBI single that plated Shope.

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Texas Southern 11, Mississippi Valley State 2 (F/6)

2018 SWAC Freshman of the Year Julia Bilbao drove in six runs as Texas Southern cruised past Mississippi Valley State 11-2 in six innings to advance in the winner’s bracket.

After Jazmin Fulmore and the Lady Tigers were able to work out of an early jam, TSU put together some offense by taking advantage of a fielding error in the circle as well as a hit batter. Dominique Tello slapped an RBI single to left field that scored Ebony Wiltz — who reached via error — and an RBI groundout by Julia Bilbao brought in Jocilynn Ellis.

Southern 9, Alcorn State 8 

Southern outlasted East no. 1 seed Alcorn State in a wild 9-8 victory, advancing to the winner’s bracket of the 2018 SWAC Softball Tournament.

Down 3-1 in the bottom of the sixth, Alcorn used an eight-run inning to overrun the Jaguars. Taylor Hughes managed to reach via walk, and Robin Harrison ripped a single just out of reach of Southern first baseman Tiara Scott to get two on. Alicia Hill loaded them up after beating second baseman Shauna Knighten to first, and Malea Dickerson cut the deficit in half with an RBI single.

The Lady Braves (14-34) continued to storm ahead as Ashley Arnold hit a go-ahead two-run single to bring home Hill and Harrison and chase James from the circle. Mariah Ortiz extended the advantage with a laser of a single down the left field line that brought two more Lady Braves across home plate, and Ramsey ripped a triple down the right-field line to score pinch-runner Teona Bowles.

The Jaguars would not go quietly, as Sydney Andrews and Kiara Suttles had back-to-back singles, and Jamani Greer belted a two-run triple to get within three. Jazmine Dukes hit a towering round-tripper to left to bring the Jaguars (17-21) within one. After Aubrion James reached via error, Tiara Scott singled her home, and Scarlett Brock handed Southern the lead with a go-ahead RBI single.

Alcorn put together a final chance with one out as Harrison earned a free pass, and Hill beat out a single to third base. The Jaguars recovered to close out the game with consecutive fielder’s choices.

Greer was 2-for-2 with three RBI, and Suttles went 2-for-4 with two runs. Hill went 3-for-4. James picked up the win with a complete game, scattering 10 hits and six runs to improve to 11-10.

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