JACKSON, MS – Sophomore third baseman Kendall Core had a monster clutch hit performance, freshman Chelsea King picked up all the big outs in the circle and six players had multiple hits as the Alabama State softball team had the look of a confident team in topping host Jackson State 10-3 in the first of a three-game series on Friday afternoon at the JSU Softball Stadium. 
 
Core came up with the game's biggest hit—a clutch, bases-clearing, three-run double to right-center field that scored Alexis Johnson, Jenna Mae Thorne and Valerie Centeno to give ASU a comfy 5-1 advantage in the fourth inning.
 
Johnson and Core padded the lead further when the two homered back-to-back in the seventh inning to open up a 10-2 advantage. 
  
Alabama State (11-23 overall, 5-1 SWAC) received another strong performance from King, who earned both her first career start and first career victory on the same day. 
 
When King (1-0) got into any danger, she was able to work out of it with minimal damage. 
 
The Lakeland, FL, native pitched a complete game and allowed three runs on six hits and walked two. 
 
She struck out one and was able to induce 14 ground ball outs and five fly ball outs.
 
In 16.2 innings, King has allowed just five earned runs to compile a team-best 2.70 ERA.
 
"I thought Chelsea controlled the game and kept hitters off balance," said Alabama State softball coach Chris Steiner-Wilcoxson.   "I am very excited for her.  She had been throwing well and we had been taking the time to make sure that she got her feet wet.  It gave her an opportunity to grow."
 
It marked the fifth time in the previous seven games that ASU has allowed three runs or fewer.
 
The hit parade for the Lady Hornets extended throughout much of the lineup as the team racked up 16 hits.
 
Core had a season-high four RBI and batted 2-for-5 with her third home run and a double. 
 
"She [Core] did a good job," Steiner-Wilcoxson said. "She's at a key position in the lineup.  A.J. [Alexis Johnson] has provided a lot of the power in the positon ahead of her so it's good that she had her back and was able to come through in clutch situations.  She [Core] understands what conference play is all about and it showed today.  It was great to see her able to find her groove." 
 
Johnson batted 3-for-3 with her conference-leading seventh home run of the season, a double, a walk, three runs scored and two RBI.
 
The Lady Hornets' table setters were pesky all game against Jackson State as Laura Aguilar went 3-for-5 with her 19^th and 20^th stolen bases of the season and scored twice.   
Centeno was 3-for-4 with two runs and a sacrifice fly RBI.
 
"It's very big when your first two batters are getting on base," Steiner-Wilcoxson said.  "It makes everybody else job a lot easier.  The one thing that I wanted our girls to concentrate on was getting RBIs and they did that today." 
 
Perry Hindi and Brittney Wilson also added two hits apiece for ASU. 
 
Canessa Swanson went 2-for-3 with a double, a triple, two runs scored and a RBI to lead the Lady Tigers (13-21 overall, 4-4 SWAC).
 
Jackson State, a team that entered ranked sixth nationally in stolen bases with 75 on the season, was held without a swiped bag. 
 
Next, ASU will play at Jackson State in a doubleheader beginning at noon on Saturday. 
 
Live stats can be followed at http://www.sidearmstats.com/alasu/softball/.
 
Tweets will be made throughout the game @ASUBUZZ. 
 
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