MONTGOMERY, Ala. __ The Tuskegee softball team ended the HBCU Celebration Classic with a 1-2 mark on Saturday, defeating Grambling State (5-2), before falling to Alabama A&M (6-5), and Alcorn State (6-1) at Lagoon Park in Montgomery.
Tuskegee 5, Grambling State 2
Grambling was the first to get on the board in game one, scoring two runs in the second after a scoreless first. The Tigers got runners on with two singles and loaded the bases after a walk, before a single to drive home two runs.
Tuskegee tied the game in the bottom half of the inning, as
Carole Ross singled through the left side and advanced to second on a wild pitch.
Alexis Thompson doubled to center on the next at-bat to have runners in scoring position, while
Caroline Clark drove home the first run followed by Thompson crossing the plate on another wild pitch for the 2-2 score.
TU took the lead in the fourth with three runs on two hits and an error, in an inning that saw the bases loaded with walks from
Kaeley Roldan and Morales and a single from
Nylah Strange-Lindley.
Rector singled with no outs with the bases loaded to drive home the first run of the frame, followed by an error allowing Strange-Lindley to cross the plate and a fielder's choice play that allowed Rector to score to put TU up 5-2.
Thompson led the push at the plate in the win going 2-for-3 with a run scored, RBI and walk, while Chadwick, Clark,
Victoria Harrison, and Rector all also drove in a run.
Kamya Hampton earned the win for Tuskegee, surrendering six hits and two runs over seven innings, striking out seven and walking one.
Alabama A&M 6, Tuskegee 5
The Golden Tigers found themselves up early in the second game, as
Jessica Morales drew a leadoff walk and stole second to start the contest. She later advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Roldan and scored on a passed ball for the 1-0 lead.
Clark started in the circle for TU and held the Bulldogs scoreless through the first three innings, allowing just three hits while forcing five groundouts and striking out one.
Alabama A&M responded in the bottom of the fourth, opening the inning with a single to center field followed by a two-run homer to take a 2-1 lead. After Tuskegee earned one hit and left two on in the top half of the fifth, the Bulldogs added runs in the fifth on a passed ball and an RBI single to go up 4-1.
Tuskegee rallied in the sixth, loading the bases with no outs on two walks and
Victoria Harrison being hit by a pitch. Following a pitching change,
DaJhay Norton drove in two runs on a sacrifice fly to center field, before Chadwick tied the game at 4-4 on a sacrifice bunt to bring home
Laila Wood. TU added its final run in the top of the seventh on an RBI single from Roldan to score
Naturelle Miles to take the 5-4 advantage.
The Bulldogs rallied for the win in the bottom of the seventh, as the first base runner got on with a fielding error and advanced to second on a groundout. A&M ended the game with an RBI single on the next at-bat, followed later by another error for the 6-5 game.
Hampton made her second appearance of the day for the Golden Tigers, relieving Clark in the fifth and took the loss, pitching 2.2 innings and allowing the final two runs, with one unearned.
Alcorn State 6, Tuskegee 1
Game three didn't have a lot of highlights for the Golden Tigers as Alcorn State scored in the first and five more in the fifth to jump out to a commanding lead before coasting to the win.
Tuskegee scored its lone run in the fourth, as Morales, Chadwick, and Harrison all earned singles, with Chadwick driving in Morales with a hit up the middle to tie the game in the top of the fourth. The Golden Tigers only other two hits came from
Katie Harris and Rector in the third.
Clark got the start in the circle, allowing six runs – only one earned – on ten hits, with one strikeout and no walks in 6.0 innings. Rector went .500 at the plate, going 1-for-2 with a walk, while Chadwick went 1-for-3 with an RBI single, and Morales went 1-for-3 with a run.
Olivia Miller picked up the win for the Braves, pitching a complete game and striking out two, while allowing five hits and just one run.
Up Next
The Golden Tigers will have a week off to end the month of February, as they return to the field for their 2024 home opener on Monday, March 4 to take on Talladega. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
How to Follow the Golden Tigers: For complete information on Tuskegee Golden Tigers Softball, visit
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