MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Alabama State University softball team looks to bounce back this weekend when they play four games in two days at the Leon Smith Classic in Oxford (Ala.), in a tournament hosted by Southeast Missouri State.
Alabama State (5-13) returns to action after falling to third-ranked Auburn on Wednesday, facing Missouri State and Belmont on Saturday. They will also face Southeast Missouri State and Valparaiso on Sunday in the final day of the event.
The Lady Hornets have only faced Belmont this season of the teams they will face in the tournament. In the two games against Belmont, the Lady Hornets had a chance to win the first game before falling in extra innings (5-4) before being no-hit in the final game of a no-hitter thrown by the Bruins in Nashville (Tenn.).
Alabama State has faced all but Missouri State under head coach
Chris Steiner-Wilcoxson, having posted a 2-5 record against the other three teams in the tournament. The two wins have come against Southeast Missouri State, while they have faced Valparaiso (0-1) and Belmont (0-4) away from the Barbara Williams Softball Complex.
Kaylee Davis is swinging the hottest bat in the line-up for the Lady Hornets, having picked up five hits in her last nine at-bats including one on the road against Auburn. She is hitting .389 on the season, while
Perry Hindi is hitting .388 for the Lady Hornets. She has recorded seven extra-base hits (which include three home runs) and is second on the team in runs batted in with nine.
Valerie Centeno is hitting .318 for the season with three triples, while
Kendall Core is hitting .306 with a team-leading four home runs and 18 runs batted in.
Laura Aguilar – who set a single-season record in hits last season – is hitting .293 with 17 hits (second on the team) this season.
On the mound, freshman
Vanessa Bradford (5-3) leads the team in appearances, starts, earned run average, innings pitched and strikeouts. She has recorded a 4.75 earned run average in 56.0 innings pitched. She has recorded 31 strikeouts on the season, while opponents are hitting .297 on the season.
Justine Jean (0-5) is second on the team in earned run average at 5.25, while
Charlene Castro (0-5) has recorded a pair of saves this season for Alabama State.
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