Texas Southern Softball Drops Two against Grambling
By Semaj Marsh
Houston, TX. -- Texas Southern battled both the heat and Grambling's pitching staff Friday in a grueling afternoon triple-header at Memorial Park.
TSU would lose the first two games by scores of 3-1 and 1-0, before salvaging a victory in the finale, 3-2.
The rare triple-header, which took place because Saturday's planned double-header was cancelled due to a scheduling conflict, saw the Lady Tigers deliver a string of solid pitching performances themselves, but not much spark on offense. In the three games, TSU managed just six extra base hits and were unable to produce any multiple run innings.
"We always have good pitching," Head softball coach Yolanda Sinegal said. " I try to recruit good pitchers because in softball you've got to have good pitching first and everything else will fall in place."
?We?ve just got to work on the slump we?re in. Right now, we?re in a slump offensively and we?ve been there for about a good two and a half weeks.?
In the opener, Natalie Brown threw a complete game three-hitter to lead Grambling to the 3-1 win. Tarra Robinson went 2- for-3 in the contest, scoring the eventual winning run in the sixth inning on a throwing error by TSU second baseman Serena Gordillo. LaQuana Jones went 3- for-3, including a double in the fifth inning. Ashley Williams also doubled and later scored a run in the second.
TSU's lone run came in the fifth inning when Davon Spates doubled and stole third, and then was brought home by a RBI single from Latoya Clark. Jenny Chandler performed admirably despite being issued the loss, striking out seven batters in seven full innings. She gave up six hits and two walks.
The second game saw Grambling outlast TSU in an epic-pitching duel, thanks to a RBI single by Brown in the top of the seventh. Brandy Davis threw a shutout in seven full innings to lead Grambling, striking out three batters in the process. In a losing effort, TSU's Lemon gave up four hits and two walks through seven full innings. She also had two singles from the plate herself.
Neither team could sustain much offense until the seventh when Robinson led off the inning with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a stolen base. Brown then came up and lined a sharp grounder down the third base line for the only run of the game. TSU tried to rally in the bottom of the inning when Chandler hit a two-out single to left and Davinna Davidson reached on a fielding error by the Grambling shortstop, putting runners at first and second. However, on the next at-bat, Brown tried to reach on bunt attempt, which Davis quickly corralled from the mound and threw to first in time to seal the 1-0 victory.
In the finale, Texas Southern got their game winning run in the bottom of the seventh when Erica Wade scored from first on a infield single. Davis pitched seven complete innings of shut out ball, surrendering only five hits. She struck out three batters and gave up no walks. Gordillio and Spates both had two hits a piece to lead the TSU batters. Brown took the loss for Grambling, giving up two runs on three hits in four full innings.
Afterwards, Sinegal was moderately pleased with how her troops held up during the three-game marathon session, in which temperatures reached into the mid 90s.
"We endured through three games very well," Sinegal said. "Mentally, they were out of it; physically they were not. Our defense showed that. If you look at the books, you'll see there weren't too many errors; the defense was solid. It was just the offense that was off, which I think is mental."
The win improved TSU's conference record to 16-9 on the year and left them in a three way tie for first place in the SWAC West with Southern University and Prairie View.
The Lady Tigers return to action, Tuesday, April 16 against Stephen F. Austin.
