HOUSTON – The Lady Tigers of Texas Southern University opened Southwestern Athletic Conference play Friday with a 7-0 win over Jackson State behind a two-hit shutout from Jasmin Fulmore.
At Memorial Park in Houston, five different TSU players collected RBIs for the Lady Tigers (9-5-1, 1-0 SWAC), whose home game was aired on ESPNU for the first time in program history.
Fulmore, last season's SWAC Pitcher of the Year, struck out nine batters and allowed JSU's only hits to opposing pitcher Kayla Owens. The senior hurler from Federal Way, Wash., walked only one batter and improved her season record to 2-2.
Jackson State (7-13) fell to 1-3 in SWAC play with the loss.
The Lady Tigers of TSU put runners in scoring position in every inning in which they batted, but they were held without a run until the bottom of the fourth inning. Marissa Padron opened the scoring with a single that scored Kreola Moore, who reached base on a single and then moved to third on an error by Owens.
After Padron stole second and Jocilynn Ellis drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases, Terren Vinson's RBI infield single that scored Tevanae Tate stretched the TSU lead to 2-0. Dominique Tello then capped the fourth-inning scoring with an RBI groundout that allowed Padron to score.
Moore and Tate picked up RBIs of their own with a groundout and sacrifice fly, respectively in the bottom of the fifth. The hometown Lady Tigers added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth when pinch runners Zariah Robins and Ebony Wiltz scored on a passed ball.
While TSU was adding runs, Fulmore continued to get better as the game wore on. She ended up retiring the last nine batters she faced.
Vinson and Padron each had two hits in the game for TSU. Sierra Valdez and Julia Bilbao each knocked doubles for Texas Southern.
The Lady Tigers conclude their series with Jackson State on Saturday with a doubleheader. The first game of the twinbill is scheduled for a noon start.
Courtesy: TSU Athletics
At Memorial Park in Houston, five different TSU players collected RBIs for the Lady Tigers (9-5-1, 1-0 SWAC), whose home game was aired on ESPNU for the first time in program history.
Fulmore, last season's SWAC Pitcher of the Year, struck out nine batters and allowed JSU's only hits to opposing pitcher Kayla Owens. The senior hurler from Federal Way, Wash., walked only one batter and improved her season record to 2-2.
Jackson State (7-13) fell to 1-3 in SWAC play with the loss.
The Lady Tigers of TSU put runners in scoring position in every inning in which they batted, but they were held without a run until the bottom of the fourth inning. Marissa Padron opened the scoring with a single that scored Kreola Moore, who reached base on a single and then moved to third on an error by Owens.
After Padron stole second and Jocilynn Ellis drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases, Terren Vinson's RBI infield single that scored Tevanae Tate stretched the TSU lead to 2-0. Dominique Tello then capped the fourth-inning scoring with an RBI groundout that allowed Padron to score.
Moore and Tate picked up RBIs of their own with a groundout and sacrifice fly, respectively in the bottom of the fifth. The hometown Lady Tigers added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth when pinch runners Zariah Robins and Ebony Wiltz scored on a passed ball.
While TSU was adding runs, Fulmore continued to get better as the game wore on. She ended up retiring the last nine batters she faced.
Vinson and Padron each had two hits in the game for TSU. Sierra Valdez and Julia Bilbao each knocked doubles for Texas Southern.
The Lady Tigers conclude their series with Jackson State on Saturday with a doubleheader. The first game of the twinbill is scheduled for a noon start.
Courtesy: TSU Athletics