MONTGOMERY, AL – Maddie Phelps remained collected in the circle to pitch a complete game, the Lady Hornets' batters broke through with a difference-making inning and the Alabama State softball team rallied back to win their conference opener against Prairie View A&M 3-1 on an overcast day Friday at the Barbara Williams Softball Complex.
 
After trailing 1-0, Alabama State (9-17 overall, 1-0 SWAC) took the lead for good as part of a three-run fourth inning in which centerfielder Valerie Centeno ignited the rally with a one-out double to left center field.
 
It was her conference-leading seventh double of the season. 
 
SWAC hit leader Jenna Mae Thorne followed with a RBI single back up the middle before Kendall Core was hit by a pitch.
 
It set the stage for reigning College Sports Madness SWAC Player of the Week Charlene Castro.
 
The freshman's drive to right field doubled in Thorne, who scored the go-ahead run and made it 2-1.
 
Carly Evans tacked on an insurance run to a single to right that drove home Core.
 
Evans was the only batter in the game with two hits and she finished 2-for-2 on the day with a RBI.
 
"I liked that we gave up an early run in the ball game and were able to come back," said ASU head coach Chris Steiner-Wilcoxson.
 
"People like Val [Centeno], who got a double, and Jenna Mae [Thorne], who got a base hit, and Char [Castro] just crushed that ball to right field—those were all big-time hits.  That gave us some energy and got over the nerves that we have been having so far."
 
In the circle, it was all that Phelps needed with her defense backing her up the rest of the way.
 
The senior struck out seven and worked around giving up four hits and three walks. 
 
The right hander currently leads all SWAC pitchers with 56 strikeouts.
 
Phelps did it on 103 pitches to improve to 6-7 on the season and lowered her season ERA to 3.04. 
 
Ashley Higgins pitched 3.1 innings and was charged three runs on four hits for the Panthers (3-13, 0-1 SWAC). 
 
"Each team is going to have a different type of pitching," Steiner-Wilcoxson said.
 
"We are going to have to adjust from the beginning.  I think they [Prairie View A&M] had a good game plan and were able to keep us a little off balanced with a pitcher who threw a little slower and then put in one who threw harder." 
 
Up next
The Lady Hornets will continue their three-game home series with Prairie View A&M beginning Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
It will be Think Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Weekend as all fans are encouraged to wear pink to the games. 
 
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