BOX SCORE

IRONDALE, Ala. - One night after suffering a heartbreaking loss in their tourney opener, the Prairie View A&M Lady Panther softball team reversed course and overcame a two-run deficit en route to a 6-2 SWAC Tournament win over Grambling State on Friday evening at the Shea Brothers Softball Complex.

The Lady Panthers fell behind 2-0 after the first inning as Grambling State's Raven Turner hit a two-run homer for the early lead. PV persevered and knotted the contest at 2-all in the second as freshman Druscilla Marmolejo hit a bases-loaded single down the right field line which brought in Leanna Flores and Kelly Scruggs.

The score remained tied until the fifth as the Lady Panthers loaded the bases with no outs. Flores opened the floodgates with an RBI single followed by a bases-loaded walk from Scruggs for a 4-2 advantage. Freshman Olivia Pace added an RBI followed by Marmolejo's third RBI for a 6-2 advantage.

Outside of a minor scare in the seventh, the Lady Panthers cruised from that point en route to their first tourney win since defeating Grambling State in 2008.

Freshmen Shontel Lopez and Nicole Gallardo, who're both from the state of New Mexico, led the team with two hits apiece. Marmolejo followed with a team-high three RBIs and a walk while sophomore Cally Falls struck out four on two hits.

The win gives the Lady Panthers their 20th win of the season which couldn't have come at a better time for head coach Vernon Bland.

"I'm happy to pick up the win - especially at the SWAC Tournament," he said.  "We haven't won 20 games around here in a long time and I hope to pick up several more this weekend."

PV returns to action at 2 p.m. on Saturday versus the loser of Alabama A&M and Mississippi Valley State. Live stats can be found via www.SWAC.org.