MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Kaley Anthony hit a three-run, go-ahead homer in the bottom of the fifth to help Alabama State past Mercer, 7-5, and salvage game two on day one of the Black and Gold Classic after dropping its opener to Eastern Kentucky, 6-0.
 
Game One – Alabama State 0, Eastern Kentucky 6
The Colonels (14-2) scored three in the first, two in the third and one in the fifth to pull away from the Lady Hornets in a 6-0 shutout.
 
Samantha Reynoso (4-1) scattered just two hits across five innings of work to keep Alabama State's offense quiet. EKU pitching combined for four strikeouts with no walks allowed and three combined hits. Justine Jean (1-3) wore the loss after allowing five runs on five hits through five innings in the circle.
 
The only Hornet to get through to the pitching was Alexis Sydnor, who was responsible for all three of her squad's hits in a 3-for-3 day.
 
Game Two – Alabama State 7, Mercer 5
Kaley Anthony stepped to the plate with two outs in the fifth inning in a recently tied ballgame and roped a three-run homer off the batter's eye in dead center. Alabama State (7-10) thwarted a late rally to hold for a 7-5 win over Mercer (8-10) in the night cap.
 
ASU fell in a hole early after the Bears scored three runs on four hits in the top of the first inning. It was able to even things up in the bottom of the third after Samantha-Jo Mata and Kindall DeRamus turned in back-to-back base hits – DeRamus drove home a couple of runs on a double in the left field gap.
 
Mercer took the lead right back in the top of the fourth and held that lead until Marina Clark doubled to tie things in the fifth, setting the stage for Anthony's heroics. The Bears rallied for one in the ninth but a fly ball ended things.
 
Alexa Veamoi (2-1) allowed three earned runs in six innings but received some good help from her offense to pick up the win. Vanessa Bradford earned her second save of the season after slamming the door on the Bears in the seventh. Amber Byrd (3-3) was saddled with the loss after allowing seven runs on eight hits in six full innings for Mercer.
 
Up Next
The Lady Hornets will take the field twice more tomorrow at 4:30 and 7 against Eastern Kentucky and Nicholls, respectively.
 
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