Lady Tigers rally for 5-4 win over Prairie View A&M

HOUSTON – The Lady Tigers of Texas Southern University overtook first place in the Southwestern Athletic Conference's West Division with a 5-4 win Friday over visiting Prairie View A&M.
 
Texas Southern (18-14, 9-4 SWAC West) scored four unanswered runs over the final three innings to claim the series-opening win over its nearby, in-state rival. The Lady Panthers (18-23, 10-6 SWAC West) dropped their fourth consecutive league game.
 
The Lady Tigers went to the bottom of the seventh tied with Prairie View A&M, and needed only three batters to claim the walkoff win. Chanler Powell and Dominique Tello knocked back-to-back singles to open the inning. Treshea Wilson then put down a sacrifice bunt, but the throw from PVAMU's infield sailed into right field, allowing Zariah Robins (Powell's pinch-runner) to score the game-winning run.
 
Junior pitcher Jasmin Fulmore won her seventh consecutive start as she improved her overall season record to 8-2. She struck out five batters while scattering six hits as she earned the complete-game victory.
 
Ashley Higgins took the loss for the Lady Panthers, giving up three earned runs over six innings while allowing 10 base hits; her record fell to 10-12 with the loss.
 
The Lady Tigers trailed 4-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth, but quickly pieced together a rally as the team's first three hitters knocked singles. Terren Vinson continued the pattern with a single down the left-field line to score Marissa Padron from third base.
 
Prairie View got its first two outs on one of Higgins' three strikeouts and a fielder's choice that retired Jocilynn Ellis on the base path between third home. But before the Lady Panthers could get out of the inning, Tello knocked a ground-rule double down the left field line to score Kelsey Riley and Vinson and tie the game at 4-4.
 
Tello, Powell, and Riley all had two hits in the game.
 
PV scored three runs in the first inning to take an early lead, with two of those runs scoring on Destinee Williams' home run to left field.
 
The Lady Tigers conclude their series with Prairie View A&M on Saturday with a doubleheader scheduled for a noon start. The softball team is also celebrating its Alumni Day on Saturday, with special recognition given to the university's first softball team, which began varsity play 20 years ago.