Lady Tigers clinch SWAC Title Game berth with 7-5 win over JSU

DECATUR, Ala. – Western division champion, Texas Southern University, will face Alabama State University in the 2015 Southwestern Athletic Conference Softball Championship Saturday, May 9, at Wilson Morgan Park. The first pitch is set for 2:00 p.m. CST.

The Lady Tigers will make their second consecutive appearance in the SWAC softball tournament championship game after defeating SWAC Eastern division champion, Jackson State University, 7-5.

TSU grabbed its fifth SWAC western division title this season with significant contributions from seniors Thomasina Garza, Jessica Miller and Brianna Parker.

This will be Texas Southern's third time participating in the championship game – the first being in 2000, and the second being last season when they were crowned SWAC champions.

After being named the 2015 SWAC Player and Hitter of the Year Garza looks to lead the team in her senior campaign to a second straight title after claiming a conference-high batting average of .432, slugging percentage of .730, on base percentage of .529, 46 RBI and seven homeruns.

During the game against JSU, Garza hit a double to tie the game, 5-5, followed by Parker's homerun, which scored two runners and won the game for the Texas Southern.

Texas Southern defeated Alabama State 5-2 the first time the two teams met this season. Sammantha Jimenez was credited the win, pitching two strikeouts with zero walks and only four hits. Chelsea Guenther managed a game-high two runs, while Kacey Creel registered a game-high two RBI.

During game five of the tournament, the two teams met again with the Lady Tigers defeating ASU, 2-1. Brianna Simpson grabbed her second homerun of the season, putting the first run on the board TSU.

Neither team would score again until the top of the sixth inning when the Hornets used a double to score a runner, making the score 1-1. The Lady Tigers used a single to right field to break the tie, claiming a 2-1 victory over the Hornets in the seventh.

Jasmin Fulmore was credited the win and allowed no hits from ASU until the top of the fifth inning. She tossed a total of five strikeouts and only gave out one walk. 

The SWAC Softball Championship game will be televised live on ESPN3.