COLUMBUS, Ga. __ Tuskegee softball earned a pair of wins on the first day of the SIAC Softball Championships in Columbus, defeating Albany State, 13-2, in the first game, followed by a 13-4 win over Miles to move on to the semifinal round of tournament play.
Tuskegee 13, Albany State 2 (5 Inn.)
Tuskegee easily dispatched Albany State in the first game of the day, defeating the No. 3 seed in the SIAC East.
A double by
Jada Chadwick put Tuskegee on the board first in the opening inning, scoring the first two batters in the lineup in
T'yauna Rector and
Victoria Harrison. The Golden Tigers added to their lead in the second when Harrison drew a walk, scoring one run, and an RBI single from
Alexis Thompson to take a 5-0 lead.
Tuskegee broke the game open in the third with another four runs, after RBIs from Nylah Strange-Linley,
Jessica Morales, Chadwick and a final score on a steal from home for Harrison, pushing the TU lead to 9-1, before claiming the run-rule win in five innings by a score of 13-2.
First Team All-SIAC pitcher
Kamya Hampton earned the win for Tuskegee in the circle, allowing six hits and two runs over five innings, striking out three and walking just one. Chadwick led the offensive push in the contest, going 3-for-4 with a season-high five runs batted in, while Harrison and Rector also went 3-for-4 and both scored four runs each in the win.
Tuskegee 13, Miles 4
The Golden Tigers scored 13 again in the second game of the day against rival Miles, earning 13 hits compared to seven for the Golden Bears.
Tuskegee jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning thanks to a pair of hits and RBIs from Morales to score Rector who walked to start the game, followed by a bunt single from Thompson for the second run.
Miles responded with a strong bottom half of the inning, earning three hits in the first six batters that included a single to left field that drove home two runs to tie the game at 2-2. From there, Tuskegee got more separation with a three-run third off just one hit as TU stole three bases and scored once off a passed ball, while Chadwick and
Carole Ross earned RBIs in the frame, helping extend the lead to 5-2.
The Golden Bears added one to their total in the bottom of the third and fourth, however TU shut down the offensive production for the final three innings. In the top of the fifth, Tuskegee added a run on a bases loaded walk and wild pitch. The Golden Tigers would later combine for five more runs in the sixth and seventh to earn the 13-4 win to advance.
Chadwick and Thompson were crucial in the middle of the batting lineup, both earning three hits on the day, while Thompson added three hits and three RBI. Meanwhile, Ross went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs, while Morales scored three runs and drove in two in the win.
Hampton earned her second win of the day with another complete game, allowing seven hits and four runs while striking out nine.
Up Next
Tuskegee will continue play on Tuesday in the semifinal round, as the Golden Tigers take on No. 4 seed Lane at 1:30 p.m. ET at the South Commons Softball Complex.
How to Follow the Golden Tigers: For complete information on Tuskegee Golden Tigers Softball, visit
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