Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 ALBANY, Ga. ^__ Tuskegee softball split a pair of games on day one of the 2023 Cricket SIAC Softball Tournament, defeating Fort Valley State 12-3, before falling to Edward Waters 8-4 at the Gordon Sports Complex.
 
In game one, the Golden Tigers jumped out to an early lead over the Wildcats to take home the win, starting with a score on an error and a single by Marissa Mitchell in the first inning to go up 2-1.
 
Tuskegee would add to their lead in the second with an RBI single from Jessica Morales and another from Kaeley Roldan. Following a walk to start off the bottom of the fourth, Jada Chadwick drove in Dyamond Brown with a double, while Alexis Paredes hit an RBI single to make the score 6-1 heading into the fifth.
 
The Golden Tigers scored six runs in the sixth inning. The big inning was thanks to a triple by Nylah Strange-Lindley, a single by T'yauna Rector, and a home run by Brown.
 
Caroline Clark led Tuskegee to victory in the circle, going six innings, allowing two runs on six hits, and striking out three.
 
Caprice Johnson was in the circle for Fort Valley State and lasted three innings, allowing five hits and four runs while striking out one and walking one. Kryssi Maddox threw two and two-thirds innings in relief out of the bullpen.
 
Tuskegee got on the board first in the second game, facing Edward Waters, as Rector scored on a foul from Morales. Edward Waters responded in the third to tie the game, before adding five more unanswered runs to lead 6-1 in the middle of the sixth.
 
The Golden Tigers put up three runs in the sixth, starting with a pair of singles from Morales and Mitchell to start the bottom half of the inning. Following a sacrifice bunt, Tuskegee began to cut into the lead with an RBI groundout and RBI double on consecutive at-bats. V Harrison was the last score on the day as she crossed the plate on a wild pitch to put the score at 6-4.
 
Alyssa Charter-Smith was on the rubber for Edward Waters, allowing eight hits and four runs over seven innings, striking out five. Meanwhile, Kamya Hampton was in the circle for the Golden Tigers, allowing eight runs off six hits along with nine strikeouts.