GAME 1 BOX SCORE

GAME 2 BOX SCORE

Prairie View A&M could not overcome Southern's pitching effort on Saturday, dropping both games of the doubleheader at home 8-5 and 3-0 as they fell to 20-17 on the season with an 11-5 SWAC record.
 
The Jaguars gained some ground on Prairie View A&M in the SWAC West standings as they improved to 13-7 in conference play. After being blanked by Southern starter Jose De Leon, who recorded 12 strikeouts in seven innings pitched with no runs scored, in Game 2 Panthers coach Waskyla Cullivan said it will be critical for his team to come out swinging in Sunday's pivotal 1 p.m. series finale.
 
“This is the first conference series that we have lost dating back to last year,” Cullivan said. “We had won nine conference weekends in a row. It was definitely a downer…I feel good about (pitcher) Stef Hernandez starting tomorrow, and (reliever) Daniel Castillo will be ready to come out of the bullpen.”
 
Game 1 seemed to be the best opportunity for the Panthers to pick a win up against Southern. Trailing 8-1 in the eighth, Prairie View A&M went on to put up a four-spot against the Jaguars to reduce their deficit to three runs. James Fontenot got things going for the Panthers with a two-RBI double to score center fielder Colby Hines and right fielder Darryl Johnson from second and third. Right fielder Brett Valley grounded to the pitcher on a sac bunt to drive in Andre Oliver; then Brad Benes grounded out to the short stop and scored Fontenot from third.
 
However, the Panthers were held scoreless in the ninth inning and failed to find any hitting consistency in Game 2 of the doubleheader.
  
Fontenot finished Game 1 with three RBIs after going 1-for-4 with a run scored. Johnson went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while Hines got two hits in four attempts with a run scored for Prairie View A&M.