MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Alabama State used seven runs combined in the fifth and sixth innings to run-rule Jackson State 11-3 in the opening game of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) series at the Barbara Williams Softball Complex on Friday afternoon.

Alabama State (13-14, 5-2 SWAC) jumped ahead early with four unanswered runs, and then used a four-run fifth inning to pull ahead 8-1 before a three-run sixth inning ending the game on a walk-off double. The Hornets pounded out 11 hits, while a pair of pitchers – Bailey Greenlee (Snohomish, Wash.) and Elle Lunsford (Lawrenceville, Ga.) held Jackson State to eight hits over the six innings. Greenlee (9-7) went 4.0 innings in the start and allowed one run off three hits with four strikeouts, while Lunsford came in for the final two innings and a pair of runs off five hits.

Kindall DeRamus (Helena, Ala.) led Alabama State at the plate, going 3-for-4 in the series opener, while Alex Preston (Stockton, Calif.) picked up three hits in the win.
 
How It Happened

• B1 | Jazmine Dodd (Bentonville, Ark.) got the Hornets on the board early with a fly ball to right that was mishandled allowing DeRamus to score from second, before Dodd scored on a Preston single to center with the bases loaded. The Hornets capped off the first with a fielder's choice off the bat of Jaeda Gardner (Pike Road, Ala.) to score Alex Massie (Pottsboro, Texas) for another run (3-0, Alabama State).
• B2 | Dodd was caught stealing but it allowed DeRamus to score from third for another run (4-0, Alabama State).
• T3 | Jackson State used an RBI single by Lauren Stewart to break up the shutout (4-1, Jackson State).
• T5 | The Hornets got started early with a two-run double by Preston that scored Arianna Atchley (Millbrook, Ala.) and Lauryn Maher (Atoka, Tenn.), before Gardner put the ball in play that mishandled at third to bring in another run, and Kiana Parrish (Stockton, Calif.) drove in the final run of the inning on a groundout to second (8-1, Alabama State).
• T6 | Isabel Gusman drove the ball over the left center wall for a two-run home run (8-3, Alabama State).
• B6 | Atchley reached on a throwing error allowing Massie to score before Destinee Dixon (Bullard, Texas) doubled to left center, followed by a double off the bat of Preston for the final run of the game (11-3, Alabama State).

Up Next
Alabama State and Jackson State wrap up the series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 12 noon at the Barbara Williams Softball Complex.

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