IRONDALE, Ala. – Facing a 7-0 deficit, the Lady Hornets softball team fought back behind the bats of Aleesa Yanez and Brittney Wilson only to fall 8-5 against Savannah State at the Shea Brothers Softball Complex on a chilly Friday evening during day one of the eighth annual Tiny Laster Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Invitational. 
 
Alabama State used the long ball to get back into it on an evening where temperatures hovered in the lower 40's to upper 30's throughout play. 
 
Yanez delivered her second home run of the season to left center for a two-run shot in the bottom of the second inning.    
 
In the fourth, Wilson followed suit with a two-run home run of her own to left center for her fourth of the season. 
 
ASU (3-16) accounted for the other run when Valerie Centeno knocked in Jazzmin Romero on a RBI single as part of a three-run second inning. 
 
The Lady Hornets held Savannah State (4-7) in check for most of the game after the second inning by allowing just one run thereafter. 
 
ASU starting pitcher Maddie Phelps (2-8) settled in with two scoreless innings after the second, striking out four in five innings of work. 
 
Melissa Christmann came on in relief and worked two scoreless innings, striking out four and walking one. 
 
But, Alabama State was unable to get much going in the last three innings at the plate with just one walk and no hits. 
 
Yanez finished 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. 
 
Laura Aguilar batted 1-for-2 with two walks and her fifth stolen base of the season. 
 
Kendall Core and Alexis Johnson both extended their reached base streaks. 

Core went 1-for-3 with a run scored to extend her streak to 16 consecutive games of reaching base while Johnson also batted 1-for-3 to make it 12 straight games in which she has reached base.
 
ASU will continue play Saturday against Morgan State at 9 a.m. and Faulkner at 1:30 p.m. before finishing at Tennessee State on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.  
 
#GOHORNETS#