ETTRICK, VA – The VSU Softball team needed a win in both games against Virginia Union to claim the Northern Division but fell just one run short in the first game losing 6-5 while committing eight errors. The Trojans went on to take the second game 6-4. The loss now keeps the squad third place behind Claflin (first place) and Bowie State (second place).
Game 1
The conference leader in triples, Alaija Pratt, added another to her collection as she sprayed one into right field to start the contest. Pratt later came around to score to make it 1-0 in the top of the first inning. In the bottom of the second inning, the Panthers made their emergence scoring their first run of the ballgame on an error on the infield. VUU would go on to score their second run of the inning on a wild pitch to take the lead 2-1. The Panthers would add another run to their lead in the bottom of the third inning on an error on the infield to make the score 3-1. Due for a big inning offensively,
Desmyn Owens came around to score after
Machenze Flood singled down the left field line.
Macy Beville and Mahenze Flood later came around to score on an error by the VUU right fielder. The Trojans scored three runs in the top of the fourth inning on just one hit to take the slim lead 4-3. The Trojans notched another run in the top of the fifth inning on a single up the middle to score
Alani Horton to make the score 5-3. The Panthers answered back in the bottom of the fifth inning scoring back-to-back runs on an infield error and a single into center field to tie it up at five. The top of the seventh inning saw Alaija Pratt make it all the way to third while
Samantha Cunningham stole second before being left stranded. VUU would go on to take the win on another error made by the Trojan infield to make the final score 6-5.
Top Performers
Alaijah Pratt: 2-4, Run, Triple
Machenze Flood: 2-3, Run, RBI
Alaijah Pratt: 6 Innings Pitched, 4 hits, 0 Earned Runs
Game 2
The Panthers picked up from where they left off in game two as they were able to strike first in the bottom of the first inning on a triple down the right field line to make the score 1-0. In the top of the third,
Nia Hall earned an RBI as she reached on an error, which scored
Machenze Flood to tie the game at one. The Trojans were able to break the game open in the top of the four inning starting with
Samantha Cunningham scoring on a grounder back to the pitcher.
Desmyn Owens came around to score on an error made by the VUU first base player.
Alaijah Pratt went on to single up the middle to score
Julia Jones and
Machenze Flood to make the score 5-1. The Panthers struck back in the bottom of the fourth inning after scoring two runs on a single into left field to make the score 5-3. Alaija Pratt earn her third RBI of the contest after tripling into right field to score
Serenity Barbee to make the score 6-3. The Panthers would make one more push for the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning scoring a run on a ground out to
Desmyn Owens. The Trojans would ultimately go on to take game two 6-4.
Top Performers
Alaijah Pratt:
3-4, 3 RBI, Double, Triple
Desmyn Owens: 2-4, Run, Double
Machenze Flood: 2-3, 2 Runs
Serenity Barbee: 2-3, Run
Up Next
The Virginia State Softball team will await their opponent for the quarterfinals of the CIAA Softball Championship that will be hosted by VSU on Tuesday, May 3 starting at 3:00 p.m.
