Savannah State softball hosted Edward Waters in a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday.
The Lady Tigers dropped both games, but not without a fight.
The opening game didn't see a hit from either team until the third inning. Costly errors from the Lady Tigers in the opening inning resulted in two runs for Edward Waters. The visitors tacked on another run in the third behind the first hit of the game, a single from Jade Mention
Sims got things moving on offense for Savannah State in the fourth inning with a double to center that scored Alisyn Ferrell, who walked, and JaNesa Robinson, who was hit with a pitch.
Edward Waters, leading 3-2, threatened to extend their lead in the top of the fifth, loading the bags with one out. But Ferrell forced a pop-up to third and a line-out to shortstop to end the threat and keep the visitors at a one-run advantage.
Marcela Foley reached on an error to open the bottom of the frame and quickly moved into scoring position on back-to-back steals. Morgan Green hit a little dribbler to shortstop that was fumbled for an error as Foley scored to tie the game up and Green reached.
Jalexia Wright then bunted to reach, pushing Green to second. Da'Ondalyn Simmons brought Green home from third, after she stole, on a sac fly to left field pushing Savannah State out to a 4-3 lead.
The Lady Tigers held the lead into the top of the seventh. With only three outs needed to end the game with a win, Edward Waters battled at the plate. They loaded the bases with two hits and a hit-by-pitch. Kylah Gardner brought in two runs on a single to give the visitors the lead once again.
Edward Waters plated four runs on four hits in the seventh for a 7-4 advantage that would hold through the end of the game.
The visitors carried the momentum from game one win into the early innings of game two, platting three runs on one hit through the first two innings.
In the bottom of the second, Sims reached on an error and then quickly stole second as the Lady Tigers trailed 0-3. Green reached on an error that scored Sims, giving some life to Savannah State.
But the third inning would prove fatal for Savannah State as Edward Waters had a monster, nearly 30 minute at-bat, platting 13 runs on four hits and two errors. By the end of the inning, Edward Waters led 16-1.
Savannah State continued to fight though. In the bottom of the third, Ferrell singled to right field to score Robinson who walked. The Lady Tigers tacked on two more runs in the fourth and fifth innings behind a double from Robinson in the fourth and a two-run homer from Ferrell in the fifth.
But the late rally was not enough to overcome the third inning rout from Edward Waters as Savannah State fell 6-17 in the second game—the game being called after five innings due to the run-rule (10 or more runs after five innings).
Savannah State looks to rebound from the loss in a key three-game Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) series this weekend against Clark Atlanta. The Lady Tigers will open the final three home games of the season on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Down the final stretch of the season, Savannah State—with a 4-7 conference record—sits in third place in the SIAC East Division behind 4-4 Benedict and 9-1 Albany State. The top four teams from each division will be entered into the 2022 SIAC Championship. Clark Atlanta is behind Savannah State with a 2-4 record.
Wins this weekend will secure a spot for the Lady Tigers in the SIAC Championship, set for May 5-7 in Albany, Ga.
Original source can be found here.
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