Junior catcher Kaitlyn Neely didn’t start Sunday’s first game, but she finished it.
Her walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth inning gave the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff softball team a 5-4 win over Alcorn State in the first of two games Sunday at the Torii Hunter Complex. UAPB then won the second 10-2 in five innings to sweep a weekend series.
Neely said she wasn’t thinking about a home run. She was waiting for an inside pitch.
“Typically, when I hit home runs, it’s accidental,” Neely said. “I don’t try. It just happens. I was really just thinking line drive, base hit. Just trying to get people on base. Wasn’t really thinking a big swing.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Neely entered the game as a defensive substitution in the top of the fifth inning. She replaced Naiyestlie Ware after Alcorn State left fielder Kennedy Terry laid down a bunt and beat Ware’s throw to first.
Alcorn State pitcher TaNiyah Fletcher took a no-hitter and a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning. Neely, making her first plate appearance of the game, ended the no-hit bid with a leadoff single. She was later forced out at third after the Lady Braves (5-22, 0-8 SWAC) dropped a fly ball in shallow left field, but her hit started a seventh-inning rally.
Right fielder Jasmine Carlson followed Neely’s hit with a single, then Jazlyn Gomez reached on an error. Leadoff hitter Tyrah Elerby delivered an RBI single, then Amari Broughton and Shalin Charles drove in additional runs to tie the game at 4 for UAPB (11-11, 3-2) and force extra innings.
Neely returned to the plate with one out in the bottom of the eighth and hit the ball over the left field fence to finish the comeback.
Neely is still recovering from a hamstring injury she suffered in the fall. UAPB Coach Michael Bumpers said she will be the No. 1 catcher once she is fully healthy.
“She’s very confident in herself, and that’s what I like about her as a catcher and as a hitter,” Bumpers said. “I didn’t think it was going to be her that was going to walk if off, but I knew that we were going to walk it off once we tied the game up.”
Fletcher (0-5), after not allowing a hit through 6 innings, finished having allowed 5 runs, 3 of them earned, off 6 hits.
UAPB starter Danika Bryant pitched the first 5 innings. She started strong but gave up 3 runs in the fourth and fifth innings. She struck out 7 hitters with 2 walks before giving way to reliever Heidi Price (2-3) to begin the sixth.
The Lady Lions kept hitting to start the series finale. UAPB took a 6-0 lead in the first 2 innings with 6 hits and 2 errors. Miller (3-3) started the game at pitcher for Alcorn State but was pulled with no outs in the second inning for Saturday’s starter, Kiri Parker.
Alcorn State scored an unearned run in the third, but Charles blew the game open with a 3-run home run to left field in the bottom of the fourth to extend the lead to 9-1.
Charles said homering felt great.
“I just let it come natural,” Charles said. “Wasn’t looking for it, but it’s about time I hit it this season.”
Alcorn State added an unearned run in the top of the fifth inning, but UAPB left fielder Malani Francis ended the game with a walk-off RBI single which scored pinch runner Jada Crusterson.
UAPB pitcher Kayla Adams (7-4) struck out 8 hitters with no walks. She allowed 2 unearned runs and 5 hits. Her first strikeout in the game was her 100th of the season.
This was UAPB’s first SWAC series win since winning two games against Southern in 2019 and first three-game SWAC sweep since sweeping Mississippi Valley State and Grambling State in 2018. It was the first sweep under Bumpers, who said it is a confidence builder and helps UAPB get into the postseason.
“We know we gotta have some sweeps,” Bumpers said. “We want to control our own destiny and not worry about somebody else winning or losing in order for us to get in [to the SWAC tournament]. We control our own destiny early, then we don’t have to worry about any of that. We just get ready for the tournament.”