Jackson, Miss. – The Alabama A&M softball team won two of its three games against Jackson State University this past weekend in Jackson, Miss. With the wins, A&M sits at the top of the Eastern Division – claiming 3-out of-5 during the SWAC East-West Round Up, and five out of its last six in conference play.
AAMU won the first two games against JSU by scores of 3-0 and 7-6, before falling 4-2 in the final contest. The Bulldogs currently sit with a 9-13 overall record, including an 8-3 mark in conference play. The team is 4-4 at Bulldog Field and 2-4 on the road.
In game one against the Tigers, A&M struck first in the third inning when Ne’Chell Bowens hit an RBI double to bring Kennese Bass home. The Bulldogs scored again in the fourth on an error, and added another run in the sixth for a 3-0 final.
Bowens led A&M offensively, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Alice Young also recorded an RBI for the Bulldogs. SWAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year Debra Borcherding picked up the win at the mound – pitching a complete game – fanning 17-of-25 batters and allowing only four hits. Borcherding leads the conference in strikeouts with 126 on the season and a total of 679 in her career.
In the second contest, A&M got out to an early 3-0 lead after two innings. The Tigers sliced into the advantage by scoring two runs in the third to trail 3-2 heading into the fourth. The Bulldogs countered the attack with four runs in the top of the fifth inning, highlighted by a Re’Quincia Mack double RBI home run. However, the Tigers fought back by putting up four runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth – but fell one run short – as A&M held on to the advantage for a 7-6 final score.
Mack – the SWAC Preseason Player of the Year – led the offensive attack for the Bulldogs, going 2-for-4, including a home run and two RBI. Mack leads the team in batting (.371) and has 14 RBI on the season, good for second on the team behind LaRae Lucero (16). Pitcher Kristine Miles was awarded the win – striking out two and giving up 12 hits and six runs in five innings of work.
For JSU, Amanda Boggan went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Ebony Stevenson and Alla Williams each recorded two hits and a run. Stevenson had two RBI while Williams had one. Pitcher Jessica Villegas suffered the loss for the Tigers. In seven innings she struck out three and allowed seven runs.
In the third game of the series, the Bulldogs fell 4-2 to the Tigers. A&M gave up three unanswered runs in the bottom of the first and was unable to fully recover. Mack went 2-for-3, while Young recorded the only RBI for the Bulldogs. Young and Lucero had the only two runs for AAMU. Borcherding took the loss – pitching six innings, fanning six, and allowing nine hits and four runs.
For the Tigers, Brittanie Talley picked up the win in seven innings of work. She allowed only three hits and two runs, while striking out seven batters. Boggan finished the game with three hits and a run scored. Villegas had three hits and two RBI while Ray Williams had two hits and a run.
A&M returns to action on Monday, April 7 when it hosts Belmont for a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.
