MONTGOMERY, Ala. | The Alabama State softball team will host its third consecutive tournament this weekend at the Barbara Williams Softball Complex with the third edition of the Black and Gold Tournament March 1 – 3.
The Lady Hornets (8-5) play game No. 14 Friday at 6:00 against Eastern Kentucky. Admission to all Alabama State home softball games is free to the public. Coach
Chris Steiner-Wilcoxson's team will play a doubleheader Saturday (Southeastern Louisiana – 5:30 pm; Tennessee Tech – 7:30 pm) and a single game Sunday against Western Illinois at 2:00 pm.
A Look Inside Alabama State
- The Lady Hornets are 8-5 overall and are currently on a three-game win streak.
- Alabama State finds itself near the top of numerous categories nationally.
- Junior Alexis Sydnor leads Alabama State with 14 hits despite only starting seven games.
- Amira James two triples has her in the top-25 (21st) nationally. As a team, Alabama State is ranked 52nd in triples per game.
- Freshman Teah Steel has six hits in her last four games – including the game-winning RBI in last Saturday's win against Howard – and is batting at a .462 clip.
- Charlene Castro's strikeout-to-walk ratio of 12.00 leads the SWAC and is ninth nationally.
- Alabama State leads the SWAC in total hits (102), batting average (.297), total bases (134) and triples (four). Justine Jean leads the conference in innings pitched (44.0).
A look inside the competition
- Purdue Fort Wayne (4-6) is a familiar foe for Alabama State, having defeated the Lady Hornets on February 15, 9-6. Morganne Denny leads the Mastodons with a .419 batting average,
- Western Illinois (4-4) is under the leadership of second year head coach Beth Golitko. Junior Sydney Hollings has paced the Leathernecks this season with five doubles and a .348 batting average.
- Tennessee Tech (3-5) has not played a game since Feb. 16 at the Chattanooga Challenge, going 1-3 in that event. Beth McCulley leads the Golden Eagle batters with double-digit at-bats with a .370 average. The Golden Eagles are guided by Bonnie Graham (seventh season).
- Eastern Kentucky (3-8) enters the weekend with a team-total of 15 home runs, which the Colonels have accrued from six different players. Eastern Kentucky leads the Ohio Valley Conference in home runs per game under 27th-year head coach Jane Worthington.
- Southeastern Louisiana (9-8) is second in the country in stolen bases per game (4.65). Jacqueline Ramon leads the Lions with 26 swiped bags. Rebecca Skains is third-nationally in doubles (eight).
What's Next
- Alabama State will hit the road for the HBCU Tournament in Atlanta, Ga. March 9 – 10.
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