SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Savannah State University softball team (17-18, 7-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) split the doubleheader against Florida A&M University (22-23 (10-1 MEAC) to open a 10-game homestand at the Lady Tiger Softball Field.
 
FAMU won game one 2-1 after scoring the winning run on a wild pitch in the top of the seventh inning, but the Lady Tigers evened the series with a 12-4 win in six innings in game two after senior second baseman Antonette Smith's five RBI performance that included a three-run home run.
 
Freshman third baseman Cortni Jones led the team batting .600 (3-for-5) with four runs scored and an RBI with a .600 slugging percentage and a .714 on-base percentage in both games, while Smith batted .571 (4-for-7) with two runs scored, two doubles, a home run and five RBIs with a 1.286 slugging percentage and a .571 on-base percentage.
 
Senior first baseman Torrian Wright batted .500 (2-for-4) with three runs scored and a solo home run with a 1.250 slugging percentage and a .714 on-base percentage, while junior left fielder Chasney Jenkins batted .400 (2-for-5) with a runs scored and an RBI.
 
On the mound, junior pitcher Amanda Hallman (9-9) gave up two earned runs on nine hits in 10.0 innings pitched with 11 strikeouts, while freshman pitcher Kasie Johnson gave up one run on four hits in three innings pitched with three strikeouts.
 
Florida A&M 2, Savannah State 1
The Lady Tigers recorded four hits in game one with Jenkins, junior right fielder Alexis Singleton, Jones and Smith each recording a hit, while Smith scored the only run and Jenkins recorded the only RBI.  Hallman pitched a complete game giving up two runs on six hits with six strikeouts.
 
The Rattlers broke a scoreless tie in the third inning with an RBI single to the shortstop to give FAMU a 1-0 lead, but the Lady Tigers tied the game at one in the fifth inning after Jenkins singled to the right side to drive home Smith, who reached on base with a double to left field with one out. 
 
FAMU scored the winning run in the seventh inning for the one-run win.  With the bases loaded and one out, Hallman recorded a strikeout for the second out of the inning, but a wild pitch allowed a Rattler to score and to move runners to second and third with two outs.  Hallman recorded a strikeout to end the inning.
 
The Lady Tigers went three-up and three-down in the bottom of the seventh inning.
 
The Rattlers were led by Jessica Nathan, Tasshay Irvis, Alexis Day, Amber Fullwood, Kenya Pereira and Whitney Farris with one hit each, while Farris scored twice and Day recorded the only RBI.  On the mound, Kenya Pereira went the distance giving up one run on four hits. 
 
Savannah State 12, Florida A&M 4 (6)
Smith went 3-for-4 with a run scored and five RBIs, including a three-run shot to left field, while sophomore shortstop Brianna Harris, Wright and Jones each recorded two hits.  Jones scored four times with an RBI, while Wright scored three times with an RBI, including a solo home run to center field.
 
On the mound, Johnson pitched the first three innings giving up one run on four hits with three strikeouts, while Hallman picked up the win in relief pitching the final three innings giving up three runs, no earned runs on three hits with five strikeouts.
 
The Lady Tigers scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 4-0 lead after the first inning.  Jenkins started the inning with a walk and advanced to second after a ground out to second for the first out.  Singleton singled to the pitcher to advance Jenkins to third and Wright walked to load the bases with one out.
 
A wild pitch scored Jenkins and advanced the runner to second and third with one out.  Jones singled to first base and advanced to second.   While Jones was running to second the ball was thrown home as Wright went home to score the third run of the inning.
 
After a groundout to second base for the second out and to advance Jones to third, Jones scored on a wild pitch for the fourth run of the inning.  A strikeout ended the inning.
 
The Rattlers opened the first two innings leaving the bases loaded with one out in each inning.  In the first inning, Johnson recorded a strikeout, followed by a groundout to third base and in the second inning, the inning ended with a strikeout and a fielder's choice that got the runner out at third.
 
FAMU got on scoreboard in the third inning after a leadoff home run down the left field line on a 1-2 count.  After a groundout for the first out of the inning, the Rattlers recorded a walk and a single to put runners on first and second with one out, but a strikeout and a fielder's choice to the shortstop, who got the runner out at third base ended the inning.
 
Savannah State added four runs in the bottom half of the inning to take an 8-1 lead after three innings.  Wright started off the inning with a single up the middle and advance to second on a wild pitch.  Jones singled to the pitcher as no one was covering first and advanced to second as no one covered second, while Wright advanced to third.  Hallman hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Wright for the first run of the inning.
 
Junior catcher Tia Bolden walked and after a pitching change, Smith hit a three-run home run to left field for the final runs of the inning. 
 
FAMU scored three runs in the top half of the next inning to cut SSU's lead to 8-4.  Hallman entered the game in the beginning of the inning and recorded a strikeout, but the first baseman dropped the ball from the throw to the catcher to allow the runner to reach on base.  The next batter singled to the pitcher to put runners on first and second with no outs.
 
The runners moved up a base on a passed ball and Hallman recorded her second strikeout of the inning for the first out of the inning.  Hallman recorded her third strikeout of the inning, but the runner advanced to first after the catcher did not throw to first to load the bases with one out. 
 
A groundout back to the pitcher, who threw home to cut the lead runner, kept the bases loaded, but with two outs.  The next batter doubled home three runs to left field and the inning ended on a groundout back to the pitcher.
 
The Lady Tigers scored a run in the bottom half of the inning to take a 9-4 lead after four innings after an error that allowed Bolden to reach base and for Jones to score with two outs.
 
SSU scored the final three runs of the game in the sixth inning to run ruled FAMU by eight runs.  Wright started the inning with a solo home run on a 3-2 count for the first run of the inning.  Jones was hit by a pitch on the first pitch and Hallman singled to left field on the second pitch to put runners on first and second with no outs.
 
A sacrifice bunt by Tia Bolden advanced the runners to second and third with one out.  Smith doubled down the right field line to score Hallman and Jones to end the game in the sixth inning.
 
The Rattlers were led by Nathan going 2-for-3, while Miesha McBride recorded three RBIs and Toni Anderson recorded a run scored and an RBI.  On the mound, Veronica Burse pitched the first 2.1 innings giving up seven runs on six hits, while Tahlia Snider pitched the final three innings giving up five runs, four earned, on six hits. 
 
The Lady Tigers look to win the series in game three Sunday at noon at the Lady Tiger Softball Field. 
 
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