CONROE, TX – Eight players had at least one hit in each game, Maddie Phelps, Chelsea King and Melissa Christmann provided solid pitching in the circle and the Alabama State softball team won both of its games on Monday during the first day of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Round-Up played at the Scrap Yard Sports Complex.
 
Alabama State (8-21 overall, 2-0 SWAC) got off to a robust start in game one by putting up a five-run first inning and it was all they needed as the Lady Hornets went on to top Prairie View A&M 7-3 in the morning game.
 
In the late afternoon game, Christmann was sharp in pitching a five-hit shutout on an efficient 76 pitches and four players had two hits as ASU blanked Arkansas-Pine Bluff 5-0. 
 
In game one, the Lady Hornets used a gritty, two-out rally to score most of their runs in the first inning. 
 
Jenna Mae Thorne and Alexis Johnson each drew walks before Kendall Core and Aleesa Yanez each connected for RBI singles to give ASU a 2-0 lead.
 
Then, the big knocks were delivered as Britney Wilson doubled to left-center field to drive in two and Perry Hindi, who received a rare start at first base, tripled to left-center to score Wilson and made it 5-0.
 
Laura Aguilar and Jazzmin Romero each added RBI singles in the fifth and seventh innings for ASU.    
 
In the circle, Phelps (4-10) allowed three runs on seven hits in five innings of work. 
 
Making her career debut, freshman Chelsea King pitched two scoreless innings and struck out two to pick up the team's first save of the season. 
 
In the late game, Valerie Centeno, Thorne, Yanez and Hindi had two hits apiece.  Johnson had a RBI double to center and Core added a RBI single in the first. 
 
Wilson scored on a passed ball in the second inning to put ASU up 3-0.  The Lady Hornets held that same lead until the sixth inning when a Centeno RBI single scored Hindi to make it 4-0. 
 
Yanez' RBI double that plated Core in the seventh inning pushed the ASU lead to 5-0.
 
Christmann (4-7) struck out four and walked just one for the team's first shutout of the season. 
ASU will play another twin bill on Tuesday against Southern at 10 a.m. and Texas Southern immediately following the first game at the Scrap Yard Sports Complex.
 
#GOHORNETS#