TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Tuskegee softball team split a Thursday afternoon doubleheader against NAIA powerhouse Stillman College, claiming a hard-fought 3–1 victory in game one before dropping the second contest 11–6 in a slugfest.
The Golden Tigers now sit at 23–6 overall, while Stillman improves to 29–8 on the season.
The doubleheader featured strong pitching, clutch hitting, and late-game drama as both teams demonstrated postseason potential.
Tuskegee 3, Stillman 1
In the opening game, senior ace
Monica Rose delivered a masterclass in the circle, tossing a complete game while allowing just one earned run on four hits, walking three and striking out eight across seven innings.
Rose maintained control of the zone, throwing 80 of her 119 pitches for strikes and keeping Stillman hitters off balance throughout the game.
Tuskegee got on the board early in the top of the first when
Jessica Morales singled, advanced to third on a stolen base and error, and scored on a sacrifice fly to right field by
Kaeley Roldan, giving the visitors a 1–0 lead.
Stillman answered in the bottom half of the inning when Lauren Haskins singled, stole two bases, and scored on a fielder's choice play, tying the game at one apiece.
The Golden Tigers regained control in the top of the fourth. With runners on second and third, DahJay Norton grounded out to shortstop, allowing
Victoria Harrison to score.
Shortly after,
Tamiya Martin came through with a sharp RBI infield single that plated
Alarryn Beckley, extending the Tuskegee lead to 3–1.
Rose took over from there, retiring nine of the final ten batters she faced to secure her 13th win of the season.
Stillman 11, Tuskegee 6
In Game 2, the tone shifted dramatically as Stillman erupted for a 15-hit performance, handing Tuskegee one of its most difficult outings of the year.
Though the Tigers scored six runs on six hits, they were plagued by three errors and allowed eight earned runs over six innings of pitching from
Kamya Hampton, who took the loss and dropped to 9–4 on the year.
Tuskegee struck first again in the top of the first, capitalizing on walks and a passed ball.
Carole Ross drew a bases-loaded walk to bring home Morales for a 1–0 lead.
However, Stillman immediately responded with an error-fueled rally in the bottom half, scoring one run on a fielder's choice play.
The game broke open in the second inning when Stillman scored five unearned runs, taking advantage of a dropped third strike, multiple errors, and timely pair of singles. Haskins delivered the key blow with a two-RBI single up the middle, extending the lead to 6–1.
Tuskegee fought back in the fourth with a three-run rally of its own. After Harrison and
Nylah Strange-Lindley reached on an error,
Ava Mearideth singled up the middle to drive in a run.
Shanna McNair added an RBI bunt single, and Beckley grounded out to drive in a third, cutting the Stillman lead to 6–4.
After another Stillman rally in the fifth that featured RBI singles from multiple players, the Tigers were trailing 9–5. Stillman tacked on two more runs in the sixth to push their lead to 11–5.
Tuskegee showed resilience in the seventh when Ross singled home Morales, but it wasn't enough to complete the comeback.
Alexis Thompson was a bright spot in the loss, going 2-for-2 with two doubles and two walks, posting a perfect 1.000 on-base percentage and a 2.000 slugging mark.
Ross added a 2-RBI performance, while Morales reached base twice and scored two runs despite not registering a hit in game two.
In total, Tuskegee finished the day with 12 runs on 12 hits and nine RBIs across the doubleheader.
Defensively, they committed three errors in the second game but also turned multiple double plays and saw strong infield work from Morales and Ross, who combined for six assists and three putouts in game two.
Up Next
The Golden Tigers now turn their attention to an upcoming SIAC rivalry series at Miles this weekend, where they will look to regain momentum in conference play. First pitch of Friday's doubleheader is scheduled for 12 p.m. at Bill Noble Park in Gardendale, Alabama.
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.
