TROY, AL – The Alabama State softball team concluded day two on an exhilarating note as  Brittney Wilson smacked a three-run, walk off home run to left center as Alabama State picked up their first win of the season in dramatic fashion with a 9-7 victory against Eastern Michigan in the Trojan Invitational at the Troy University Softball Complex on Saturday.
 
The game swung back and forth with the teams exchanging leads as EMU (0-3) struck first with a four-run lead before Alabama State answered with a four-run inning of their own to lock the score at four all. 
 
The Lady Hornets (1-2) rallied back for a second time with a five-run jolt in extra innings to earn the victory. 
 
In the top of the eighth, the Eagles' Amanda Akles had a RBI single and Abi Clark hit a two-run home run to put EMU back on top 7-4. 
 
But, ASU wasn't finished. 
 
The Lady Hornets chipped away at that lead when Carly Evans corked a RBI single in the bottom half of the inning to cut the lead to 7-5. 
 
Freshman Charlene Castro worked a 10-pitch at bat—fouling off four of them—before being hit by a pitch. 
 
Then, Aleesa Yanez sharply hit a RBI single just out of reach of the shortstop to make it 7-6. 
 
With two outs, it set the stage for Wilson's moment. 
 
On a 1-0 pitch, she connected for her sixth career home run and first of the Lady Hornets' season. 
 
ASU had rallied back earlier with a four-run fifth inning to force extra innings.
 
The Lady Hornets got on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning when Valerie Centeno poked a ball into left field to score Wilson. 
 
Jenna Mae Thorne clubbed one in the same area to score Jazzmin Romero to make it 4-2.
 
Then, Evans followed with a blooper into right field center that scored Centeno and Thorne to tie it at 4-4. 
 
The Eagles put up four runs in the second inning on three singles and a three-run double off the bat of Olivia Logan.
 
The game began with excitement as Eagles' leadoff hitter Lucy Lopez hit a rope down the right field line.
 
Attempting to reach third base, Wilson who started as ASU's right fielder, hit the cut off to Laura Aguilar at short.
 
The relay throw made it over to Kendall Core in time, who tagged her out attempting to stretch a double into a triple.
 
Maddie Phelps worked seven innings and Melissa Christmann (1-1) pitched a scoreless inning in relief.
 
Evansville 2, Alabama State 0
 
In the early game, the Purple Aces (3-0) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a pair of doubles.
 
Morgan Lambert's double to center field drove in Danielle Freeman, who had doubled to left center just two batters earlier in the inning.
 
ASU starting pitcher Melissa Christmann worked out of trouble in the third inning when Michal Luckett reached on a throwing error, stole second base and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. 
 
But, Christmann battled back to strike out Freeman and Chandra Parr.
 
The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the sixth inning when Lambert homered to left center field for a solo shot to make it 2-0.
 
Lambert batted 3-for-3 with two doubles, a home run with both RBIs in the game.
 
Lambert had three of the four hits by the Purple Aces. 
 
Christmann (0-1) pitched five and a third innings and allowed two runs on four hits. 
 
The senior native of Burlingame, Calif. walked five and struck out four.
 
Alabama State had a tough time at the plate, striking out 10 times, and had just two runners reach base. 
 
Up next
 
The Lady Hornets will conclude play in the Trojan Invite on Sunday with games against Marshall at noon followed by a 5 p.m. start against host Troy.
 
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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