SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Savannah State University softball team (1-1) opened the season splitting two games on the first day of the 1^st Annual Lady Tiger Classic Friday at Lady Tiger Softball Field by losing to Jacksonville State 7-4 in the opener and defeating Drexel 6-0.
 
Junior transfer Chasney Jenkins went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBIs in both games, while senior Torrian Wright and freshman Cortni Jones each added a home run.  Wright sent a solo home run over left field against Jacksonville State to tie the game at one, while Jones hit a two-run home run over left center field to give SSU a 2-0 lead against Drexel.
 
Freshman Kasie Johnson (1-0) went the distance against the Dragons with 7.0 innings pitched, giving up two hits with a walk and no runs, while junior Amanda Hallman (0-1) also went the distance pitching 7.0 innings giving up eight hits and six earned runs with a walk and six strikeouts.
 
Jacksonville State 7, Savannah State 4
Junior right fielder Alexis Singleton led the Lady Tigers going 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Wright went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and senior second baseman Antonette Smith went 1-for-2 with a runs scored and an RBI.
 
The Gamecocks broke a scoreless tie in the top of the third inning with an RBI single after a triple to center field to lead 1-0.  Wright's solo home run tied the score at one in the fifth inning and the Lady Tigers took a 2-1 lead after Singleton singled to left field, scoring Smith, who got on by singling up the middle.
 
JSU scored all five runs in the sixth inning off of home runs.  The Gamecocks loaded the bases with two outs and Emily Church belted a grand slam to center field to give JSU a 5-2 lead.  The next batter, Cadi Oliver hit a home run over left field to increase its lead to 6-2.
 
SSU scored a run in the bottom half of the inning to cut the lead to 6-3 a Smith RBI walk to bring in Jenkins, who got on by drawing a walk.
 
The Gamecocks added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning after an error allowed a runner to get come across the plate for a 7-3 lead. 
 
The Lady Tigers answered back with a run of their own when Jenkins singled homed senior pinch hitter Molly Lillis to cut the final margin to four runs.
 
The Lady Tigers left a total of 14 runners on base and left the bases loaded two times and left two runners two other times.
 
Church led the Gamecocks going 1-for-3 with a grand slam, while West went the distance pitching 7.0 innings giving up seven hits, four runs with six walks and 12 strikeouts.
 
Savannah State 6, Drexel 0
Jenkins led SSU going 2-for-2 with a runs scored and two RBIs, while Jones went 2-for-3 with two runs scored a two RBIs.
 
Jones broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the second with a two-run home run over the left center field.
 
The Lady Tigers scored the final four runs in the sixth inning for the final margin of six runs.  Kelsey Cyrus started off for SSU with a walk, followed by Jones, who singled to center field to advance Cyrus to second with no outs.  After a fly out, sophomore Brianna Harris singled to second base to load the bases.
 
With one out, Jenkins came through with a single to the left side to score Cyrus and Jones.  Singleton walked to load the bases for Torrian Wright.  Wright battled and walked on a 3-2 count to bring in Harris and a sacrifice fly by Smith drove in Jenkins and Wright was thrown out trying to advance to second base to end SSU's threat.
 
Drexel went 3-up and 3-down to end the game.
 
Kimberly Chan and Paula Ueno recorded the only two hits for the Dragons, while Tara Konopka (0-1) went 5.1 innings giving up six hits, six runs with six walks and eight strikeouts.
 
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