GULFPORT, Miss. – Texas Southern’s SWAC Tournament run ended earlier than expected as they fell 6-5 to Alcorn State Thursday morning at the Gulfport Sports Complex.
Alcorn State jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the third before TSU would get a run back in the bottom frame as Paige Jackson’s sacrifice fly scored Crimson Davis. Alcorn State would push its lead to 4-1 in the fifth after a solo homer but TSU closed the gap to 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth after a two-RBI double by Tevanae Tate. Tate attempted to round third but was thrown out on the slide attempt as TSU flied out to center to end the inning.
TSU sophomore pitcher Jazmine Gendorf kept ASU at bay over the next two innings to put TSU in position for some seventh-inning heroics.
Pamela Richardson hustled down the first base line to beat out the throw from third to open the seventh and was moved over on Crimson Davis’ sac bunt. Paige Jackson would ground out to short but on the play, Richardson took third and eventually found her way home as she boldly took advantage of ASU’s defensive miscues to tie the game at 4-all and send it into extra frames. Gendorf would retire the next six batters for ASU in the eighth and ninth as TSU would have two runners on in the ninth with one out but couldn’t cross them home.
The international tiebreaker rule went into effect in the 10th which automatically puts a runner on second base to open the inning. A routine play turned into a throwing error for TSU to open the inning which allowed the runner to score for a 5-4 ASU lead. Gendorf forced a strikeout on the next batter but ASU’s Marsha Hunt hit an RBI single up the middle for the 6-4 decision.
TSU Pinch runner Emma Ortiz made it to third to open the inning but ASU forced a groundout and a sac fly from Julia Bilbao on back-to-back plays. The season would come to a sudden close on a 5-3 play.
Once again, TSU produced enough offense with 10 hits but left eight runners on base unfortunately. Tate finished 3-for-5 with two RBI while Davis batted 3-for-4 with two runs. Gendorf went the distance while striking out three and allowing three earned runs.
Courtesy: TSUSports.com