title image courtesy of Albany State Softball
Courtesy of Albany State Sports Information
9
Winner ASU
6
CAUSB24
| Team | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASU | 9 | 12 | 3 |
| CAUSB24 | 6 | 7 | 4 |
W: McLeod, Romona (7-3) L: Coreya Quarterman (5-14)
The Golden Rams returned to the softball diamond for the first time in April after almost two weeks due to the weather. Albany State plated five runs in the top of the sixth of the opener for the early win and scored seven in its first two at bats to complete the Saturday sweep of Clark Atlanta, 5-2 and 17-4.
Tied at 4-4 heading into the sixth, Morgan Baker and Olivia Mason started off with a single and an error. With one out, Tiana McFarland ripped a double to drive both her teammates home for a 6-4 lead. Aniyah Dixon followed with a ground out to score McFarland and Keyatta Ayers added a run-scoring triple to make it 9-4. The Lady Panthers received a two-out, two-run triple, but no more for the final.
The Lady Rams wasted no time in taking control of the second contest. With four-straight singles to open the first at bat – Madison Hurt, Ayers, Romona McLeod and Trista Murphy – ASU started what would be a five-run trip with Kaliyah Smith’s two-run double being the big hit. Ayers led off the second frame with a solo home run and Baker lined a RBI single to bring around Murphy for a 7-0 lead. ASU turned a 7-4 lead into a run-rule final with a pair in scores in the fourth and eight more in the fifth, including a two-run De’Laynie Hollis double.
On the 12 innings of action, ASU totaled 30 hits for its 26 runs. The Lady Rams’ top three hitters in the lineup – Hurt (4 for 10), Ayers (4 for 8) and McLeod (5 for 9) – produced almost half of them. Hurt had three of hers in game one and scored five times, while Ayers had a combined “cycle” with a single, double, triple and solo home run, while McLeod doubled in each game.
Baker doubled and singled two times, while McFarland doubled and singled as well in the opener. Jasmine Russell went 3 for 4, including a double and single in two trips of Game 2. Smith finished 4 for 4 in the late game with a double and two RBI. Brielle Thompson doubled in her one trip to the plate.
McLeod posted her seventh win in the circle in relief of the first contest where she went three innings, while Smith improved to 8-2 and fanned seven in the late game.
Game 1
Trailing 4-2 going to the top of the sixth, Dixon lined a single with two outs and moved to second on a wild pitch, before cutting the margin to one when she scored as Hurt reached on an error. ASU took advantage of a second home miscue to make it 4-4.
ASU returns to play the third game of the series at Clark Atlanta on Sunday (April 7) in a 1 p.m. start.
