OKLAHOMA CITY – Texas Southern University's softball team breezed to four wins at the inaugural National HBCU Softball Classic this weekend hosted by Langston University.
At the Amateur Softball Association's Hall of Fame Complex, the Lady Tigers outscored their opponents 24-1 and claimed shortened, run-rule victories over Jarvis Christian College and Langston.
Four Lady Tiger hitters hit .400 or better with 10 or more at-bats over the weekend. Lauren Rodriguez pitched the Lady Tigers to wins over Huston-Tillotson and Talladega College (Ala.), while Jasmine Fulmore and Tyra Williams notched five-inning shutouts.
The Lady Tigers improved their season record to 7-3 with the four wins. TSU returns to action Saturday when they visit the Houston Cougars for a 2 p.m. contest.
Friday game one: TSU 3, Huston-Tillotson 0
Rodriguez was matched inning-for-inning by HT's Amanda Aguilera as the Rams kept the Lady Tigers off the scoreboard until the fifth inning. Cecilia Abad's two-out RBI double scored Jade Bismark from second base and gave TSU a 1-0 lead.
The Lady Tigers added two more in the sixth inning, starting with Sierra Valdez doubling home Krystalani Yockman. Valdez later scored on Madilynn Marek's RBI single.
Rodriguez allowed one hit and struck out eight batters while walking four others.
Huston-Tillotson stranded runners on second and third in the bottom of the first when Rodriguez struck out Aguilera to end the inning. Rodriguez retired 12 batters in a row between the second and fifth innings, and allowed only one runner past second base for the remainder of the game.
Friday game two: TSU 8, Jarvis Christian 0
Chanler Powell knocked four RBIs and gave Fulmore more than enough support as the Lady Tigers scored in every inning but the second. Her two-RBI double in the top of the fourth immediately followed an inning-extending error with two outs.
Yockman and Valdez each knocked two base hits and tallied RBIs in the game. Kelsey Riley and Treshea Wilson knocked two base hits and scored two runs apiece; Dominique Tello had a base hit and a sacrifice fly in the game.
Fulmore scattered three hits while striking out five Lady Bulldogs in the game.
Saturday game one: TSU 11, Langston 0
The Lady Tigers jumped out to an early lead by scoring three runs apiece in the first and second innings before tacking on five more in the top of the third. Tello and Valdez each knocked in three runs, while Wilson added a two-RBI double in the second inning.
Wilson and Riley each had two hits and scored three runs apiece. Jocilynn Ellis added two hits, scored twice and had an RBI in the game. Williams struck out four batters while scattering four hits and walking two.
Saturday game two: TSU 2, Talladega College 0
The Lady Tigers trailed for the only time in the series against Talladega before scoring runs in the fifth and seventh innings to take a come-from-behind win.
Rodriguez struck nine batters and scattered six hits while not walking a single batter. The lone blemish on her line was Chyloe Gonzalez's leadoff home run to open the bottom of the third inning.
TSU tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning when Ellis singled home Marissa Padron, who had reached base on an error to lead off the inning. The Lady Tigers scored the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh, when Terren Wilson drew a two-out walk before scoring on an RBI double by Tello.
Courtesy: TSU Athletics
At the Amateur Softball Association's Hall of Fame Complex, the Lady Tigers outscored their opponents 24-1 and claimed shortened, run-rule victories over Jarvis Christian College and Langston.
Four Lady Tiger hitters hit .400 or better with 10 or more at-bats over the weekend. Lauren Rodriguez pitched the Lady Tigers to wins over Huston-Tillotson and Talladega College (Ala.), while Jasmine Fulmore and Tyra Williams notched five-inning shutouts.
The Lady Tigers improved their season record to 7-3 with the four wins. TSU returns to action Saturday when they visit the Houston Cougars for a 2 p.m. contest.
Friday game one: TSU 3, Huston-Tillotson 0
Rodriguez was matched inning-for-inning by HT's Amanda Aguilera as the Rams kept the Lady Tigers off the scoreboard until the fifth inning. Cecilia Abad's two-out RBI double scored Jade Bismark from second base and gave TSU a 1-0 lead.
The Lady Tigers added two more in the sixth inning, starting with Sierra Valdez doubling home Krystalani Yockman. Valdez later scored on Madilynn Marek's RBI single.
Rodriguez allowed one hit and struck out eight batters while walking four others.
Huston-Tillotson stranded runners on second and third in the bottom of the first when Rodriguez struck out Aguilera to end the inning. Rodriguez retired 12 batters in a row between the second and fifth innings, and allowed only one runner past second base for the remainder of the game.
Friday game two: TSU 8, Jarvis Christian 0
Chanler Powell knocked four RBIs and gave Fulmore more than enough support as the Lady Tigers scored in every inning but the second. Her two-RBI double in the top of the fourth immediately followed an inning-extending error with two outs.
Yockman and Valdez each knocked two base hits and tallied RBIs in the game. Kelsey Riley and Treshea Wilson knocked two base hits and scored two runs apiece; Dominique Tello had a base hit and a sacrifice fly in the game.
Fulmore scattered three hits while striking out five Lady Bulldogs in the game.
Saturday game one: TSU 11, Langston 0
The Lady Tigers jumped out to an early lead by scoring three runs apiece in the first and second innings before tacking on five more in the top of the third. Tello and Valdez each knocked in three runs, while Wilson added a two-RBI double in the second inning.
Wilson and Riley each had two hits and scored three runs apiece. Jocilynn Ellis added two hits, scored twice and had an RBI in the game. Williams struck out four batters while scattering four hits and walking two.
Saturday game two: TSU 2, Talladega College 0
The Lady Tigers trailed for the only time in the series against Talladega before scoring runs in the fifth and seventh innings to take a come-from-behind win.
Rodriguez struck nine batters and scattered six hits while not walking a single batter. The lone blemish on her line was Chyloe Gonzalez's leadoff home run to open the bottom of the third inning.
TSU tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning when Ellis singled home Marissa Padron, who had reached base on an error to lead off the inning. The Lady Tigers scored the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh, when Terren Wilson drew a two-out walk before scoring on an RBI double by Tello.
Courtesy: TSU Athletics