MONTGOMERY, Ala. – With just two weekends of conference play remaining, the Alabama State University and Jackson State University softball teams meet in a key Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) series this weekend at the JSU Softball Stadium.
Although Alcorn State has already wrapped up the regular season division title in the East, only two games separate second from fifth in the division with the top four teams advancing to the tournament.
The Lady Hornets are the only team in the division that controls its own destiny. Alabama State (12-27, 6-6 SWAC) are currently second in the division behind Alcorn State and hold the tiebreaker over Alabama A&M due to winning the series earlier this season, and have series with Jackson State and Mississippi Valley State remaining on the schedule.
Alabama State is currently two games ahead of Jackson State heading into the weekend series, and with a series win over the Tigers, would lock themselves into the conference tournament which they will host at the Barbara Williams Softball Complex in May.
The Lady Hornets have been off since last playing against Middle Tennessee back on April 12, a mid-week trip in which the Lady Hornets ended a five-game losing streak by winning the final game of the doubleheader (6-3). Alabama State will look to get back on the winning track in conference play, last playing the weekend of April 8 in which they were swept by Alcorn State.
Alabama State is 5-2 under current head coach
Chris Steiner-Wilcoxson against Jackson State, which included sweeping the series last season. The last time the two teams met in Jackson, the Tigers won the series by winning the last contests by a single run each.
Valerie Centeno continues to lead the Lady Hornets at the plate this season, hitting .374 and raising her average up 74 points in the last 12 contests. The senior has recorded 11 extra-base hits and is in the top 15 in the country in triples (five), and continues to climb the career charts at Alabama State with 173 career hits. The senior is one of five players hitting .300 or better for Alabama State this season.
Perry Hindi is hitting .333 with 10 extra-base hits, including four home runs; while
Kaylee Davis is hitting .324 while alternating between the leadoff and second spot in the order.
Kendall Core provides the power for the Lady Hornets with eight home runs and 32 runs batted in – both near the top of the career lists at the school – all while hitting .321.
Diauna Nelson (.310) and
Alexia Boggess (.305) round out the remaining hitters over .300 for the Lady Hornets.
In the circle,
Vanessa Bradford (7-10, 4.55 ERA) leads Alabama State with 55 strikeouts.
Justine Jean (3-11, 5.80 ERA) and
Charlene Castro (2-6, 7.29 ERA) will also make appearances for Alabama State on the weekend.
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