STATS

DECATUR, Ala. – Prairie View A&M rallied back from a pair of deficits as they combined to score 10 runs over the final three innings to claim an 11-6 win over Alabama State in the opening round of the 2014 SWAC Softball Tournament on Wednesday evening.

Alabama State jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first inning and held it until the top of the second as Jazmine Hicks scored off a Rachel Rodriguez RBI.  The Lady Hornets moved ahead 5-1 in the third but PVAMU rallied in the fifth as an ASU error loaded the bases and set the stage for Brenicia Woods' two-RBI double to center.  Alisa Navarro followed up with a RBI single which scored Woods and another ASU fielding error allowed Brittanie Gardner to score for a 5-5 tie.

The lead would be brief as ASU crossed home a run in the fifth to move ahead 6-5 but PVAMU came storming back with their backs against the wall in the seventh.  Down to their final three outs, the Lady Panthers opened the seventh with a leadoff walk by Gardner which followed with a RBI double by Woods and a 6-6 margin.  Navarro moved Woods over to third with a successful bunt which led to an RBI single and the team's first lead of the game (7-6) by Hicks.

An ASU error on Shontel Lopez's at-bat led to a bases loaded situation for freshman pinch hitter Alexandra Losoya.  Losoya came up big during her at-bat with a three-RBI triple to right field which upped PVAMU's lead to 10-6.  Jalen Morris drove in the team's final run of the inning two batters later as her groundout scored Losoya from third.  With the lead in hand, starting pitcher Cally Falls forced ASU to fly out three times as the Lady Panthers claimed their opening postseason contest for the second straight year.

Woods, Navarro and Simms led PVAMU with two hits apiece while Woods and Losoya had three RBIs each.  Falls went the distance as she allowed six hits with two strikeouts.

With the win, PVAMU will face either Texas Southern or Alcorn State on Thursday at 2:30 p.m.