Trojans Softball Kicks Off Opening Tournament with a Split: 1-1


Spartanburg, S.C.- The Virginia State University softball team began their season with a 7-1 victory over Clark Atlanta, followed by a 12-10 loss to Benedict College.
 
 
Game 1 VSU 7 vs CAU 1
 
The game opened with Clark Atlanta showing promise in the first inning, getting a hit but leaving a runner stranded. Virginia State University (VSU) quickly took control as Lauren Parham walked, stole second and scored on Mylia Knight's RBI single for a 1-0 lead.

As the game continued, Clark Atlanta struggled to score, collecting only a few hits. Meanwhile, VSU's offense thrived, adding three runs in the third inning through aggressive base running and a throwing error. Jaya Diggs-Hagwood stole a base, and Mylia Knight's RBI single extended the lead to 4-0.
CAU scored one run in the top of the sixth inning, closing the gap to 5-1, but VSU quickly added two more runs in the bottom half. Nyla Brown was hit by a pitch, and singles from Jaya Diggs-Hagwood and Mylia Knight contributed to those insurance runs.

Despite some hits, CAU couldn't create significant rallies and finished with one run on seven hits. In contrast, VSU secured a 7-1 victory, benefiting from CAU's mistakes and effective pitching, along with aggressive base running.
 
 
Game 2 VSU 10 vs BC 12

Benedict College took an early 4-0 lead in the first inning thanks to walks and key hits from T. Gilbert, C. Crooks, and E. Ramirez. Virginia State responded in the second inning with a solo inside-the-park home run by Nia Hall, narrowing the score to 5-1. However, Benedict regained control and scored three more runs in the fourth inning, including a solo home run by T. Eady. By the end of the fifth inning, the score was 8-1 in favor of Benedict.

Virginia State University rallied in the fifth inning, narrowing the score to 10-6 with Reina Washington's triple and Siann Meadows' RBI bunt, along with some errors by Benedict. In the seventh inning, VSU scored four more runs, including RBIs from Jaya Diggs-Hagwood and Mylia Knight, cutting Benedict's lead to 12-10. However, Benedict held on to win the game 12-10 despite VSU's comeback efforts.
 
The Trojans will resume the tournament tomorrow, starting with Florida Memorial University at 10 a.m. and Tuskegee University at 5:30 p.m.