NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Alabama State University softball team pounded out 27 hits in a doubleheader split with Tennessee State University Friday evening, winning the first game 12-3 before falling in the nightcap 5-3.
Alabama State (3-7) wasted little time jumping top of Tennessee State as they took an early lead in the first, before building on that with five combined runs in the third and fourth.
The Lady Hornets scored first when
Charlene Castro, who finished the first game 3-for-4, singled to right to drive in a pair of runs as
Kendall Core and
Perry Hindi crossed the plate to give Alabama State a 2-0 lead, before Tennessee State added one of their own in the second. However, the Lady Hornets exploded in the third and fourth innings as they added five more runs to the board.
Core, who finished game one 3-for-4 with five runs batted in, drove her third home run out of the park for the Lady Hornets to give the visitors a 4-1 lead. The home run is the 24th of Core's career, which puts her just seven behind the school's modern day leader – Meagan Dixon (2011-14) – who ended her career with 31.
Valerie Centeno, who finished the first game 4-for-4 (including her third triple in two games), singled up the middle driving in a pair; before Core picked up another RBI with a single up the middle to score Centeno and extend the lead to 7-1.
Alabama State put the game away in the sixth inning with a five-run outburst highlighted by a pair RBI singles off the bats of Core and Castro, before
Natalia Rivera picked up a pinch-hit RBI double.
The Lady Hornets pounded out 16 hits in the opener, while
Vanessa Bradford (3-3) scattered just six hits while working five innings to pick up the victory. The freshman allowed three runs (two earned), while walking three and striking out five in the opener.
In the nightcap, the Lady Hornets pounded out 11 more hits in a 5-3 loss to Tennessee State as Centeno picked up three more hits, finishing the 7-for-8 including picking up seven consecutive hits in the doubleheader.
The Lady Hornets scored one run each in the third, fifth and seventh innings; including a solo home run by Hindi – her third of the season – as she collected three hits along with Centeno in the nightcap. The other two runs came on an RBI single by Centeno in the third and an RBI double by Hindi in the fifth inning.
Justine Jean (0-3) suffered the loss for Alabama State, going six innings and allowing five runs (four earned) on just six hits, while striking out one.
Alabama State returns to action Saturday against Belmont in a doubleheader in Nashville.
For more information on Alabama State University athletics, follow us on Twitter @BamaStateSports and like us on Facebook. For more information on Alabama State University softball, follow us on Twitter @BamaStateSB.
