Glen Allen, Va. (May 3, 2024)- The Virginia State University softball team split the opening games of the CIAA tournament. The team run ruled Shaw 10-1 in game 1 before dropping game 2 7-6 to Bowie State. 

GAME 1 VSU 10 SHAW 1 

After Hailey Darrington lead off the bottom of the first with a walk, she ended up on third with two outs. Mylia Knight then hit a double to left field to get the Trojans on the board. Shamaya Hankins then hit a single up the middle to score Knight. Then a walk by Chloe Garland and a single through the left side by Alani Horton loaded the bases. Maisie Spivey then hit a single to score two more runs. 

Alaijah Pratt threw two scoreless innings to start the game and in the bottom of the second Darrington started the game with a triple then following a one out pass ball moved up to second. Knight then hit a triple following a Jaya Diggs-Hagwood walk to score both making it 6-0. Hankins hit the first pitch she saw to left field to score Knight.  

Pratt once again threw a 1-2-3 inning. Then Makailah Harmon walked followed by a Darrington bunt single. A wild pitch allowed both runners to move up to second and third. Diggs-Hagwood then successfully operated a safety squeeze to score Harmon. Horton added two more runs with a single to left field. Shaw did manage to score one in the fifth, but VSU did run rule the Bears 10-1.  

GAME 2 VSU 6 BSU 7 

Bowie State would score in every odd inning. The bulldogs scored two runs in the first inning after a doble to center field. VSU wouldn't get thos two runs back until the second inning. Hankins, Skye Corum and Maisie Spivey hit back-to-back-to-back singles to load the bases. Siann Meadows would hit an RBI grounder and Harmon would hit into a double play but Corum did come around to score before the last out. 

BSU hit back-to-back home runs in the third to retake the lead. VSU managed to get one run back after Darrington got on via an error and a Hankins single brought her around to score. IN the fifth inning Bowie State perfectly executed a safety squeeze and a single on the next batter brought in two more runs. Darrington started the bottom half of the inning with a double then a single by Knight scored her.  

BSU would add an insurance run in the seventh and it proved to be a pivotable run as in the Trojans half of the seventh Hankins hit a two run homerun but the Bulldogs got a strikeout on the next batter to advance to the semifinals.  

The Trojans will play Lincoln University in the losers bracket tomorrow at 10 am.