The first game of the Arkansas-Pine Bluff softball team’s doubleheader against Southern on April 28 in Baton Rouge, La., had two very different implications.
If the Lady Lions lost, their chance at a SWAC tournament bid would take a hit. But if they won, it gave them a good chance to hold on for the No. 3 seed in the West Division.
Southern was in the same dilemma as UAPB and both teams were scoreless through five innings.
Then in the sixth, Allison Gutierrez drew a lead-off walk and later advanced to third with one out when Tanisha Bradford singled to left field to score Gutierrez and give the Lady Lions a 1-0 lead.
Southern’s offense could not get going as Amanda Nordberg held the Lady Jaguars to just one hit in the game, and the Lady Lions took the first game of the doubleheader.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“That game was so crucial and we knew we needed the win,” UAPB senior pitcher and outfielder CeCe Kolesar said. “The whole time we stayed up and didn’t get down. It was crunch time and we wanted that win.”
That win seemed to pump UAPB up for the second game as well as the Lady Lions dispatched of Southern 11-0 in five innings, which guaranteed them the last spot in the SWAC tournament.
“I am not going to lie, that was probably one of my favorite wins in my history here,” Kolesar said. “We haven’t beaten Southern since I was here, so to kick them out of the tournament and their Senior Day.
“They talk a lot and for us to shut them up, that sends a message to the SWAC.”
UAPB (8-34, 6-11 SWAC) plays against Jackson State at 6 p.m. on Thursday in Irondale, Ala., to open the SWAC tournament, which is two-game elimination until the championship round. Jackson State (29-26, 12-4) is the No. 2 seed from the East.
UAPB beat Alabama State 11-5 on Saturday and will go into the SWAC tournament on a three-game winning streak.
“We are going to play each team like it’s our last game because it could be,” UAPB coach Chrystal Bowers said. “We are not giving anything up and we are playing to win it. Keep playing our best.”
Even though Jackson State has 21 more wins than the Lady Lions, at the SWAC Round-up, Jackson State squeaked by UAPB with 5-4 win.
Kolesar said that game shows the team can play with anyone.
“I feel like if we show up and with how we have been playing, we will get the win,” she said. “I know Jackson is good, but we played them close and I really think this is our year.”
Mississippi Valley State (30-18, 16-0) is the No. 1 seed from the East and Texas Southern (27-13, 13-3) is the top seed from the West.
But Bowers does not really see a front-runner in the tournament, even though MVSU went undefeated.
“A lot of these teams, they may have seemed dominant in the beginning,” she said. “It always tickles me when they say this team will win or that team will win. We want to be the shocker and we are going to give it our all.”