The Alabama State University softball team swept the Devilettes of Mississippi Valley at the Barbara Williams Softball Complex to take sole possession of second place on senior day.
 
GAME 1- ASU 8 MVSU 0: Taking a 7-0 lead into the sixth inning, the Hornets forced the eight-run rule to take game one of this weekend series double header. Senior Megan Dixon, who reached base by getting hit by a pitch, came in to score on a Kendall Core single to push the score to 8-0, enforcing the run rule.
 
Starting pitcher Melissa Christmann went five complete innings, for a four hit shutout. Through four and a half innings Christmann had a no-hitter going, until the Valley offense broke it up in the fifth with four hits.

ASU's first scores of the day came in the bottom of the first, when senior Tamara Williams and Valerie Centeno scored off of an Aleesa Yanez double to left field, for a 2-0 advantage.

In the second inning, the Lady Hornets scored five runs on four hits. The first score came when Brittney Wilson, who was awarded first after getting hit by a pitch, came in and scored after Williams drew a bases loaded walk to force in a run. Next, a Yanez sacrifice fly would score Laura Augilar, who singled to reach base, giving ASU a 4-0 lead.

Dixon, in her next at bat, blasted a three-run home run to push the ASU lead to 7-0. This was Dixon's ninth home run of the season preserving her spot as the SWAC's home run leader.   

 Both clubs went scoreless through the next three innings before the Lady Hornets scored their eighth run in the sixth.

GAME 2- ASU 14 MVSU 6: The Lady Hornets turned in two big scoring innings, six in the first and eight in the fourth, to force the eight-run rule for the second straight game
to preserve the weekend sweep over the Devillettes.
  
Williams got things started for the Lady Hornets, after she singled through the right side and after a Yanez single, Dixon doubled to left field bringing in Williams for the first run of the inning. Next, Jazzmine Romero would single to the shortstop scoring Yanez.

 After a series of passed balls, Dixon would score from third for run number three. The Valley pitcher would then proceed to walk Core, hit Wilson and walk Yvette Ducoing forcing in Romero. Augilar would reach base on an error by the Valley first baseman, thus scoring Core from third. After which Centeno would ground into an unassisted out by the Valley first baseman, allowing Wilson to score from third giving the Lady Hornets a 6-0 lead after one.
 
Valley would get as close as 6-5 going into the bottom of the fourth, when the ASU onslaught would continue.
ASU would score those eight runs on six hits, with the first coming on two-run shot by Yanez, bringing in Williams. After a Dixon walk, a Romero single and a fielders' choice by Core, Wilson slapped a triple to right field that scored Core and Dixon.

Valley would make a pitching change but to no avail, as ASU would continue with the scoring barrage. Ducoing singled through the left side scoring Wilson from third for the fifth run of the inning. After Augilar singled, a Centeno single brought in Ducoing from third. Williams walk would load the bases and force in another ASU run, as Yanez was hit by a pitch scoring Augilar. With the bags still juiced Dixon, in her next at bat, would also get hit by a pitch forcing in the eight run and giving ASU a 14-5 lead.

Valley would threaten again in the top of the fifth, and plate a run but the game would end on a play at the plate that saw the Valley runner tagged out after failing to touch home.

With the three wins this weekend, the Lady Hornets are now 12-19, 7-4 in conference play and stand alone in second place in the SWAC's Eastern Division rankings.
 
"We played together as a team 1-9 wonderfully, executing both offensively and defensively" Assistant coach Brittanie Talley said. "The energy level was high in the first game and carried over to the second. By applying constant pressure to Valley we were able to maintain momentum and sweep the series."

Next up for the Lady Hornets will be a conference weekend series against Alabama A&M, as ASU will travel to Huntsville, Ala. Game one will be on Friday, April 11th, with a double header on Saturday.
 

-GO HORNETS-