ITTA BENA, Miss. | Alabama State split their Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) series at the MVSU Softball Field against Mississippi Valley State Saturday afternoon, a day after the series was shifted due to rain on Thursday.
 
Alabama State won the opening game 9-5, before dropping the finale 6-2. No make-up date has been set for the third game of the series that was washed out on Friday.
 
Amira James led the offensive efforts in game one with a homerun and three hits, while four players recorded a single hit in the loss to the Devilettes. Meanwhile, the Lady Hornets were held to just four hits in the finale.
 
Game One: Alabama State 9, MVSU 5
 
Mississippi Valley (3-28, 1-9 SWAC) scored first in the bottom of the first inning when Jaylon Davis scored on a walk after Jade Arroyo was hit by a pitch. The Devilettes took a 2-0 lead when Lacy Wilburn hit a single to left field and Deshonte Smith scored to give Mississippi Valley State the early lead.
 
James put the Lady Hornets ahead 3-2 when she connected on a three-run home run to left center in the top of the second inning. Kimberlee Owens followed with a double to left field to drive in Alexis Sydnor and Amy Felices to push the lead to 5-2 lead going into the fifth inning.
 
After Mississippi Valley State came back to tie the game, Alabama State took the lead for good the final inning when James connected on a double to left driving in Casey Durham and Kaitlyn Kilner to put the Lady Hornets out front 8-5. Felices scored the ninth run for the final margin.
 
Alyssa Montes (3-11) suffered the loss for the Devilettes after giving up the home run, 12 hits and two walks. Meanwhile, Vanessa Bradford (7-6) picked up the win, working 5.1 innings and allowed just five runs (three earned) on five hits, with a strikeout. Charlene Castro came on to work the final 1.2 innings of hitless relief.
 
Game Two: MVSU 6, Alabama State 2
 
Kaylee Davis scored the first run of game two for Alabama State in the first inning on Kristin Gunter double to right field. The Devilettes evened the score in the bottom of the first on an infield single by Dejanae Gage to short.
 
The duo of Davis and Gunter struck again in the third on a sac fly to score Davis, giving Alabama State a 2-1 lead before MVSU took a 3-2 lead on a Wilburn home run. They would push the lead to 4-2 in the sixth before a two-run home run by Jewel Unga pushed the lead to 6-2.

Justine Jean (7-6) suffered the loss for Alabama State, working 5.2 innings in the game. She allowed six runs off of seven hits with three strikeouts.
 
What's Next
Alabama State returns home to face in-state foe Alabama A&M. The first game is set for 6 pm on April 12 at the Barbara Williams Softball Complex.

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