HOOVER, Ala. – The Tuskegee softball team continued its dominance in the SIAC Crossover, picking up three victories on Wednesday to remain undefeated in conference play.

The Golden Tigers edged Fort Valley State 2-1 in a defensive battle, overpowered Savannah State 11-3 in five innings, and closed the day with an 8-6 win over Benedict.

With the trio of wins, Tuskegee improved to 11-3 overall and 8-0 in SIAC action.

Tuskegee 2, Fort Valley State 1
Tuskegee opened the day with a tightly contested matchup against Fort Valley State, relying on strong pitching and clutch defensive plays to secure a narrow 2-1 victory.

Fort Valley State struck first in the top of the second inning, capitalizing on a leadoff single and a sacrifice bunt to push a run across on an RBI single to left.

However, Tuskegee responded immediately in the bottom half of the inning when Payton Dunham reached on an infield single and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Kaeley Roldan to tie the game at 1-1.

The game remained deadlocked until the bottom of the fourth, when the Golden Tigers manufactured the go-ahead run.

Shanna McNair delivered a key two-out single, stole second, and came around to score on an error by the Fort Valley State shortstop, giving Tuskegee a 2-1 lead.

On the mound, Kamya Hampton (4-2) delivered another strong performance, tossing a complete game while allowing just one run on six hits with five strikeouts.

Fort Valley State had the tying run in scoring position in the top of the seventh, but Hampton shut the door with a strikeout to seal the win.

Tuskegee 11, Savannah State 3 (5 Innings)
Tuskegee's offense exploded in the second game of the day, erupting for 11 runs on 12 hits to take down Savannah State 11-3 in a five-inning run-rule victory.

The Golden Tigers wasted no time getting on the board, plating three runs in the first inning behind back-to-back RBI doubles from Alarryn Beckley and Alexis Thompson.

They added two more runs in the second on a sacrifice fly by DaJhay Norton and an RBI single from Victoria Harrison.

Savannah State tried to keep pace, scoring runs in the second and third innings, but Tuskegee's offense was relentless.

In the fourth inning, Dunham delivered a three-run home run over the left-field fence, pushing the lead to 10-2.

McNair capped the scoring with an RBI double in the fifth, securing the run-rule victory.

On the mound, Monica Rose (3-1) picked up the win, striking out four batters while allowing just three runs on eight hits in five innings of work.

Tuskegee 8, Benedict 6
The final game of the day saw Tuskegee battle Benedict in a high-scoring contest, pulling out an 8-6 win to complete the perfect day.

Benedict took an early 2-1 lead in the second inning after stringing together three consecutive hits, but the Golden Tigers answered in the third with a two-run double from Roldan, giving Tuskegee a 3-2 advantage.

The two teams traded blows in the middle innings, with Benedict reclaiming the lead at 6-5 in the fifth after a three-run homer.

However, Tuskegee's resilience showed in the bottom half of the inning, as McNair tied the game with a solo shot before an RBI single from Thompson put the Golden Tigers ahead for good.

Hampton (5-2) earned her second win of the day in relief, throwing 2.2 scoreless innings while striking out two to close the game.

Dunham had a strong offensive performance, going 4-for-7 at the plate with a home run, four RBIs, three runs scored, and two stolen bases.

Roldan contributed significantly as well, finishing 3-for-6 with three RBIs and two doubles, while McNair was also productive, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs, a home run, and two stolen bases.

On the mound, Hampton secured two wins, pitching a total of 9.2 innings while allowing just one earned run on seven hits and striking out seven batters.

Rose added a solid outing, throwing 5.0 innings with three earned runs and four strikeouts.

Tuskegee will wrap up the SIAC Crossover with two more games on Thursday as they look to remain unbeaten in conference play.

Up Next
Tuskegee will return to action on Thursday, March 13, as they take on Albany State and Allen in the final day of competition at the SIAC Crossover in Hoover.

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.