Lady Tigers defeat MVSU to open SWAC Tournament

Courtesy of SWAC.org
 
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – 2018 SWAC Freshman of the Year Julia Bilbao drove in six runs as Texas Southern cruised past Mississippi Valley State 11-2 in six innings to advance in the winner's bracket of the 2018 Southwestern Athletic Conference Softball Tournament.
 
With the win, the Lady Tigers will face Alabama A&M on Thursday, with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m.
 
After Jazmin Fulmore and the Lady Tigers were able to work out of an early jam, TSU put together some offense by taking advantage of a fielding error in the circle as well as a hit batter. Dominique Tello slapped a RBI single to left field that scored Ebony Wiltz – who reached via error – and a RBI groundout by Julia Bilbao brought in Jocilynn Ellis.
 
The defending champions blew the game open during the second inning, loading the bases off of Mississippi Valley starter Alyssa Montes. Tevanae Tate and Sierra Valdez hit back-to-back RBI singles to the left side, and Bilbao cleared the bags with a triple to stretch TSU's lead to 7-0.
 
Texas Southern (23-16- 1) pushed another run across via fielding error in the third. Mississippi Valley (14-30) looked to extend the game in the fifth, loading the bases with no outs as Jesse Parmley and Ikeyia Alexander led off with singles en route to the Devilettes loading the bases.
 
Down to Mississippi Valley's final out, Jodeci Afoa-Tuia ripped a two-run double to deep right to get the Devilettes on the board.
 
The Lady Tigers put it away when Tevanae Tate tripled to right center field and scored on a sacrifice fly by Valdez. Bilbao put one out of the yard to enforce the run rule win.
 
Fulmore scattered eight hits and two runs – none earned – in getting the win. Sharia Cormier and Lexany Terrones each picked up a pair of hits for MVSU.