Softball Wins Tournament Opener With All-Around Effort

GULFPORT, Miss. – Texas Southern softball fought back from an early deficit and scored five runs in the middle innings to advance to the second round of the 2024 SWAC Softball Tournament as they claimed a 6-2 win over Bethune-Cookman.
 
Bethune-Cookman had an opportunity to create momentum in the top of the first with two runners on with two outs but right fielder Pam Richardson made a heads up play and threw the BCU runner out at first to seize the momentum and end the inning.
 
Richardson came up big in the bottom of the first with a one out single and stole second. She scored TSU’s and the first run of the SWAC Tournament on a single by Angel Morales.
 
TSU ran into some early trouble in the top of the second with the bases loaded and one out. BCU drove in a run to tie it followed by a hit batter with the bases loaded for the 2-1 BCU lead. Starting for the first time as a true freshman in the postseason, Maren Berger got out the jam with back-to-back outs.
 
Ja’Lynn Swiney singled to open the third and moved over on Paris Johnson’s sac bunt. Richardson once again displayed her speed as she turned a sac bunt opportunity into a single for runners on the corner. Freshman Karisma Garcia came up big with a deep shot double to left center to score Swiney for the 2-2 tie. Morales hit a single which dropped in front of the center fielder as Richardson scored to move TSU ahead 3-2. On the same play, BCU had a fielding error and Garcia would take advantage and score from third as TSU moved ahead 4-2. In the top of the fourth, BCU once again had two runners on with one out but Berger and the TSU defense once again fought themselves out of the jam.
 
Madison Griggs opened the bottom of the fourth with a leadoff walk and moved over to second on a sac bunt. A BCU fielding error on Jordan McClain’s at-bat had runners on the corner. McClain stole second on the next play which set up Ja’Lynn Swiney’s sac fly to score Griggs for the 5-2 lead. Paris Johnson slapped in a ball to left as McClain scored for a 6- 2 lead. Berger and the TSU defense never looked back from that point they combined to retire 11 batters in a row to close out the game and avenge last year’s opening round loss to the Wildcats along with earning their first-ever win against BCU.
 
Richardson and Morales both went 2-for-3 as Morales led the team with two RBI along with two runs from Richardson.
 
TSU will face either Florida A&M or UAPB on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.