TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Savannah State University softball team (1-29, 1-8 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) fell to MEAC Southern Division leader Florida A&M University (16-25-1, 11-1 MEAC) 5-2 in game one, but won the second game 7-5 for the first win of the season at the FAMU Softball Complex.
 
Sophomore first baseman Elizabeth Humes led the team with a .500 (3-for-6) batting average in two games with two runs scored, a triple and two RBIs, while senior right fielder Alexis Singleton batted .429 (3-for-7) with two runs scored.
 
In game one, sophomore third baseman Cortni Jones homered to give the Lady Tigers a 2-0 lead, but the Rattlers scored the final five runs to win by three runs.  In game two, FAMU scored the first two runs, but the Lady Tigers scored the next three runs to take a 3-2 lead in the middle of the sixth inning.  The Rattlers scored the next three runs to take a 5-3 after six innings.  The Lady Tigers scored the final four runs in the top of the seventh inning to win by two runs.

Florida A&M 5, Savannah State 2 (Game One)
Singleton recorded three of the five hits going 3-for-4, while Humes and Jones each added a hit and a run scored and Jones recorded two RBIs.  On the mound, senior pitcher Amanda McDowell (0-13) pitched the first five innings giving up three earned runs on six hits with two strikeouts, while sophomore pitcher Faith Dickerson pitched the final inning giving up one unearned run.
 
In the bottom of the second inning, the Rattlers started the inning with a four-pitch walk and a bunt single to put runners on first and second with no outs, but a sacrifice bunt advanced the runners and a line out to third base and a foul out to third ended the FAMU threat. 
 
Savannah State broke the scoreless tie in the fourth inning by scoring two runs to take a 2-0 lead.  Humes singled through the right side with one out and Jones homered to left field on a 0-2 count. 
 
FAMU responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning after an RBI fielder's choice and an RBI single and the Rattlers left runners on the corners.  The Rattlers scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning after a sacrifice fly and an error allowed two Rattlers to score for a 4-2 lead and scored the final run in the sixth inning after a Rattler scored on an error throw down to second.
 
The Rattlers were led by Tashayla Irvis going 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Toni Anderson and Kenya Pereira each recorded an RBI.  Pereira recorded a complete game giving up two runs on five hits. 
 
Savannah State 7, Florida A&M 5 (Game Two)
Senior left fielder Chasney Jenkins went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Humes went 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBIs.  McDowell added two RBIs and picked up the win in relief pitching the final five innings giving up three runs on three hits with two strikeouts. 
 
FAMU broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the first inning after a sacrifice fly to take a 1-0 lead and increased its lead to 2-0 after scoring a run in the second inning after an RBI groundout. 
 
Savannah State scored two runs in the top of the third inning to tie the game at two.  After a lineout to start the inning, sophomore second baseman Allye Sneed singled to left field and Singleton reached on a fielder's choice that got Sneed out at second.  Jenkins singled to the pitcher and junior center fielder Shelby Eccles loaded the bases with a hit-by-pitch with two outs.  Humes singled to left field to drive home Singleton and Jenkins to tie the game, but Eccles was thrown out at second to end the inning.
 
The Lady Tigers had an opportunity to take the lead in the fifth inning, but couldn't push across any runs leaving runners on second and third, but was able to take the lead in the sixth inning after scoring a run to take a 3-2 lead. 
 
Humes started the inning with a triple to right field and Jones walked on four pitches to force a FAMU pitching change.  Jones stole second base to put runners on second and third with no outs and junior shortstop Brianna Harris reached on a fielder's choice that got the lead runner, Humes, out a home.  McDowell hit a sacrifice fly to right field to drive home Jones and Harris advanced to third base, but a strikeout ended the inning. 
 
FAMU took the lead in the sixth inning with three runs for a 5-3 lead after a sacrifice fly to tie the game, at three, and a two-run single to take the lead. 
 
But Savannah State scored the final four runs in the seventh inning to win by two runs.  Sneed started the inning with a four-pitch walk and stole second, while Singleton reached on an error by the second baseman to put the runners on the corners.  Sneed scored on a wild pitch and Singleton advanced to second to pull within one run, 5-4.  Jenkins hit a bunt single to the catcher to put runners on the corners and Jenkins stole second to put runners on second and third with no outs.

Eccles singled back to the pitcher to drive home Singleton to tie the game at five and stole second to put runners on second and third with no outs and Humes walked to load the bases.  Jones was hit by a pitch to drive home Jenkins to take a 6-5 lead.  Harris reached on a fielder's choice that got Eccles out at home to keep the game at 6-5 with the Lady Tigers leading, but McDowell hit an infield single to the shortstop to drive home Humes to take a 7-5 lead.  Back-to-back strikeouts ended the threat and to leave the bases loaded.
 
FAMU started the bottom of the seventh inning with a two-base error by the third baseman, but the next batter hit it to the shortstop Harris who faked the throw to first and threw it to second base, who threw it to third to get the lead runner.  The next batter popped up, followed by a walk and the final batter popped up to the shortstop to give the Lady Tigers the two run win.
 
The Rattlers were led by Jamesias Stoudemire with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate with a run scored and three RBIs, while Amber Fullwood and Miesha McBride each recorded an RBI.  Tahlia Snider pitched the first five innings giving up three runs on five hits, while Veronica Burse (4-14) picked up the loss in relief pitching the final two innings giving up four runs, three earned, on three hits.
 
The Lady Tigers stay in Florida to face Jacksonville University in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. Wednesday in Jacksonville. 
 
Florida A&M 5, Savannah State 2 (Apr 15, 2017 at Tallahassee, Fla.) (Game 1)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Savannah State...... 000 200 0 -  2  5  2      (0-29, 0-8)
Florida A&M......... 000 221 X -  5  6  0      (16-24-1, 11-0)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Savannah State - MCDOWELL,AMANDA; DICKERSON,Faith(6) and CYRUS,Kelsey. Florida A&M -
PEREIRA,Kenya and McBRIDE,Miesha.
Win-PEREIRA,Kenya(6-9)  Loss-MCDOWELL,AMANDA(0-13)  T-2:08  A-179
HR SSU - JONES,Cortni (2).
Weather: 78, partly cloudy, wind:ESE@13
 
Savannah State 7, Florida A&M 5 (Apr 15, 2017 at Tallahassee, Fla.) (Game 2)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Savannah State...... 002 001 4 -  7  8  2      (1-29, 1-8)
Florida A&M......... 110 003 0 -  5  5  4      (16-25-1, 12-0)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Savannah State - DICKERSON,Faith; MCDOWELL,AMANDA(3) and CYRUS,Kelsey. Florida A&M -
SNIDER,Tahlia; BURSE,Veronica(6) and ANDERSON,Denise; BLASINGANE,Alexis; WOODARD,Mackenzie.
Win-MCDOWELL,AMANDA(1-13)  Loss-BURSE,Veronica(4-14)  T-2:40  A-137
Weather: 83, partly cloudy, wind:SSE@7
DICKERSON,F faced 1 batter in the 3rd.
SNIDER,Tahli faced 2 batters in the 6th.
 
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