HOOVER, Ala. ^__ Tuskegee softball got back on the winning track on Tuesday, earning two wins on the first day of the SIAC Crossover. TU defeated Albany State 4-0 in the first game of the day, before beating Benedict 5-4 in game two.
 
Tuskegee 4, Albany State 0
Tuskegee was the first team on the board in the game, scoring in the bottom of the second inning. Jada Chadwick got things started with a double to lead off the inning, followed by a single from Alexis Thompson.
 
Chadwick and pinch runner Payton Dunham both scored over the next at-bat on passed balls. Kaeley Rolden drove in the last run of the inning with a bunt to the pitcher, as Nylah Strange-Lindley scored to put TU up 3-0 heading into the third. Thompson later extended the lead to the eventual 4-0 final with a solo bomb in the fifth inning.
 
Senior Kamya Hampton (8-6) earned the win for TU, pitching a complete game and allowing just one hit, striking out three and walking none. The right-hander faced just 22 batters, forcing 15 groundouts and three force outs in the contest.
 
The combination of Chadwick and Thompson at the fourth and fifth spots in the lineup were a force, both collecting two hits for the Golden Tigers. Chadwick went 2-for-3 in the cleanup spot with a pair of doubles and scoring a run. Thompson also went 2-for-3 in the game that included a solo home run.
 
Tuskegee also had a strong eye at the plate, collecting five walks for the game. The program also ran wild on the base paths, stealing seven bases in the win. Dunham and Strange-Lindley both stole multiple bases, while the TU defense did not commit an error in the win.

Tuskegee 5, Benedict 4
Despite seeing its five-run lead dwindle down to just one by the final inning, Tuskegee held off Benedict for a 5-4 victory in the second game of the day. Benedict closed the gap in the with runs off a groundout, sacrifice fly, and RBI double.
 
After two scoreless innings to start the game, TU got on the board in the top of the third after T'yauna Rector singled, scoring one run, followed by an RBI double from Victoria Harrison, and concluded with a three-run homer from Thompson, her second of the day, to put TU up 5-0.
 
Benedict began to claw back in the bottom half of the frame, as two of the first three batters drew walks. The next BC batter moved both runners with a sacrifice bunt, followed by an RBI single to bring both home and the score to 5-2. They later added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI double, before Hampton came in to earn the save with three outs in the seventh.
 
Caroline Clark earned the win in the circle for the Golden Tigers, pitching for four and one third innings, allowing just one hit and two runs, facing 18 batters while striking out one and walking four batters. Katie Harris worked for one and two-thirds innings, allowing two runs and and walking one, while Hampton earned the save.
 
Thompson drove home another three runs in the game, combining for four RBI on the day with two homers, while Harrison went 2-for-3 against the Tigers, with one RBI and one run scored.

Up Next
The Golden Tigers return to action on Wednesday with another two conference games, as they battle Clark Atlanta at 12:30 p.m. and Fort Valley State at 2:30 p.m. to continue the SIAC Crossover at the Hoover Met.
 
How to Follow the Golden Tigers: For complete information on Tuskegee Golden Tigers Softball, visit GoldenTigerSports.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 
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