TROY, AL – The Alabama State softball team opened the 2016 season with a four-run lead that dissipated as fielding miscues and a late home run proved costly in a 7-5 loss on opening day against Evansville in the Trojan Invitational at the Troy University Softball Complex on Friday.
 
The Lady Hornets carried a 4-1 lead into the fifth inning when errors and a misplayed ball hurt ASU as it failed to catch a pop up in the infield and then dropped a liner down the right field line. 
 
The Purple Aces (2-0) capitalized with four runs in the inning on two doubles, a triple and another error to take a 5-4 advantage. 
 
Danielle Freeman added to the lead with a two-run home run in the seventh to expand the lead to 7-4.
 
ASU got back a run in the seventh on a double by Jenna Mae Thorne and a RBI single by Laura Aguilar, but was unable to get closer. 
 
Alabama State (0-1) had a promising start to the game as it enjoyed a 4-0 lead early.
 
Batting from the nine hole, Alexia Boggess' first at bat as a Lady Hornet was a memorable one as the junior transfer hit it over the right fielder's head for a bases clearing, three-run triple that scored Thorne, Brittney Wilson and Kaylee Davis. 
 
Evansville got on the board in the top of the fourth on a pair of doubles by Freeman and Morgan Lambert. 
 
The damage was limited when Boggess made a slick play, backhanding a ball to her right, and throwing it over to first base where Carly Evans scooped the ball to record the out. 
 
Aguilar followed with a sharply hit RBI single back up the middle to increase the lead to 4-0. 
 
Evansville's Michal Luckett led the game off with a triple, but ASU spoiled that scoring opportunity as Centeno caught a shallow fly ball to center, Boggess made a snappy decision to throw from shortstop to home as Yanez applied the tag on the runner trying to score and Phelps strike out the last batter. 
 
Phelps struck out the side in the second inning and finished with six strikeouts in five innings of work. 
 
The Lady Hornets will continue play in the Trojan Invite on Saturday with games against Evansville at 9:30 a.m. followed by a noon start against Eastern Michigan.
 
Live coverage for stats and video can be found here: http://troytrojans.com/sports/2016/2/8/SB_0208161949.aspx?path=softball
 
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