TYLER, Texas | Five times this season, the Grambling State University softball team picked up victories against Texas College, including a doubleheader sweep on Monday afternoon at Fun Forest Park.
Grambling State (10-22) won the opener, 20-14, and took the second game, 14-2 in five innings.
Game 1 (20-14 win)
Texas College struck first with five runs in the first and one in the second to grab a 6-0 lead. Grambling State cut the deficit to 6-4 with four runs in the third.
The Lady Tigers splurged on five hits in the top of the fourth to pick up seven runs to lead 11-6. Texas College answered in the bottom of the frame with four runs to close the gap to 11-10.
Grambling State took advantage of one error in the fifth to grab six runs on six hits. In the inning,
Versace Hicks-Butler homered to left field to plate three runners.
The Lady Tigers added three more runs in the seventh for 20 runs total as the Lady Steers could not pick up the needed runs at the bottom of the frame.
GAME 2 (14-2 win)
Grambling State picked up a pair of runs in the first, but Texas College cut the deficit in half with a run at the bottom of the frame.
The Lady Tigers picked up seven runs on four hits in the third to lead 9-1. Texas College added one more run in fourth but could not recover from Grambling State's five run fifth inning, which was highlighted by a
Tia Coleman grand slam home run.
Inside The Numbers
* In the opener, Grambling State finished with 20 runs on 19 hits and left four on base.
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Hailey Haynes went 4-for-5, with two RBIs and three runs scored.
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Tayler Lenz-Selvera,
Mercedes Williams,
Morgan Adams,
Tia Coleman and
Deshuna McDaniel each had two hits.
*
Versace Hicks-Butler and
Tiffany Doss recorded one hit apiece.
*
D'Maria Matthews (3-9) picked up the victory as she gave up 14 runs on 14 hits, walked four and fanned three in seven innings.
* Kierra Morris took the loss as she gave up 15 runs on 12 hits, with five walks and three strikeouts.
* In Game 2,
Tia Coleman went 1-for-3, with a team-high six RBIs and three runs scored.
*
Monique Smith went 3-for-4, with two RBIs and one run scored.
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Versace Hicks-Butler,
Armani Babin and
Deshuna McDaniel registered one hit apiece.
* The Lady Tigers finished the second game with 15 hits and left nine on base.
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Caitlin McDowell (7-9) picked up the victory while surrendering just two runs (one earned) on three hits, with one walk and five strikeouts in 5.0 innings.
* Lauren Gutierrez took the loss as she surrendered 14 runs on 15 hits, with four walks and one strikeout in 5.0 innings.
* Texas College finished with two runs and left two on base.
Up Next
Grambling State will travel to Prairie View, Texas to take on Prairie View A&M in a three-game Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) series, beginning on Friday. The first pitch is set for 3 p.m.
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