COACH VERNON BLAND INTERVIEW

The bats of the Prairie View A&M softball team continued to sizzle on Saturday afternoon as they combined to score 26 runs in a doubleheader rout over Southern University.  The Lady Panthers swept Southern for the first time since 1998 and won all three games via the run-rule.

A seven-run first inning was all PV needed as the Lady Panthers began the afternoon with a 10-2 win which spanned six innings.

Freshman leadoff batter Peyton Simms started the first inning rally with a solo homer over the center field wall for the early 1-0 lead. Brenecia Woods followed with a single and SU starter Carla Arismendi walked two straight batters before Leanna Flores' two-RBI single for the 3-0 advantage. The lead grew to 4-0 on Sarina Rios' RBI while Oliva Pace upped the score to 6-0 with a two-RBI single. The Lady Panthers batted around the inning as Simms ended the scoring with an RBI single for the 7-0 lead.

Southern crossed home two runs in the second to draw within 7-2 but PV answered in the fourth as Kelly Scruggs scored from second on a throwing error for the 8-2 advantage. Two innings later, the Lady Panthers put the game away for good as Flores drove in two RBIs to trigger the eight-run rule.

Simms led PV with a 3-for-4 outing at the plate with two RBIs. Flores followed with four RBIs on two hits while Pace tallied two hits and two RBIs. Cally Falls (8-4) claimed her eighth win of the season as she struck out six while only allowing three hits.

The Lady Panthers got off to another solid start in game two with a 10-run first frame en route to a 16-6 win in five innings.

Prairie View A&M avoided a major catastrophe in the first inning as starting pitcher Lauren Grun pitched herself out of a bases loaded jam.  The Lady Panthers rewarded Grun for her effort as freshman Alexis Lang homered for the game's first run followed by Flores' two-RBI double for a 3-0 lead.  Freshman Rachel Rodriguez singled home two runs followed by Simms' two-RBI double.  SU was forced to make a pitching change but PV continued to make contact as Woods and Alissa Navarro combined to drive in two more runs for the 10-0 lead.

Southern chopped its deficit in half with five runs over the next two innings but PV returned to scoreboard in the third as Simms made the score 11-5 after scoring on a SU throwing error at third.  Woods drove in the 12th run of the game with an RBI single and scored the team's 13th run as she advanced home on Flores' stolen base attempt.

The Lady Jaguars added a run on the fourth but PV continued to attack as Lang and Navarro drove in runs along with Simms' score.  Prairie View A&M closed the door on the Lady Jaguars in the fifth as reliever Meah Maddox held SU scoreless. 

Lang continued her impressive weekend as the Hempstead, Texas native batted 4-for-4 with four runs and three RBIs.  Woods finished 2-for-3 with three runs and two RBIs while Navarro batted 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.  Grun picked up her third win of the year as she struck out two in three innings of action.

The Lady Panthers continue their homestand as they'll host UH-Victoria on Tuesday in a 1 p.m. doubleheader at the Lady Panther Softball Complex.