Sixth-inning heroics weren’t enough for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff softball team, which dropped its second consecutive conference series on Saturday.
Southern University won 4-0 and 13-9 to sweep the doubleheader and clinch the series after UAPB won on Friday at the Torii Hunter Softball Complex.
UAPB (8-16, 3-4 SWAC) scored 4 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the series final at 9, but the Lady Jaguars answered in the top of the seventh inning.
Southern (17-11, 5-4) right fielder Laila Clark led off with a walk, and first baseman Abigail Mitchell doubled to put both runners in scoring position with no outs. Third baseman Prestaisha White bunted, and UAPB pitcher Traelen Humphrey (0-1) misfired trying to throw the ball home, allowing both runners to score as White made it to third.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The Lady Jags put the game away with 2 more runs later in the inning, capping off their fifth straight scoring inning. UAPB starting pitcher Danika Bryant had started strong, retiring the first seven hitters she faced before the Lady Jags got their offense going.
UAPB coach Michael Bumpers said the Lady Lions’ pitchers left too many hittable pitches over the plate.
“We got behind on a lot of hitters,” Bumpers said. “We also gave up a lot of 0-2, 1-2 hits. Instead of making them chase, we’re kinda leaving things down the middle of the plate, and they took full advantage of it.”
Southern’s late offense came after UAPB led 4-0 through two innings. The Lady Lions chased starting pitcher Chakirrious Parker with one out in the second, but Jordynn Jennings (6-2) settled things down until the sixth.
UAPB designated player Angelina Rivas and right fielder Ariana Gonzalez delivered back-to-back 2-RBI hits to tie the game before Southern retook the lead half an inning later. The Lady Lions went in order in the seventh to end the series.
Southern pitcher Aaliyah Zabala (8-3), who pitched in UAPB’s 3-2 win on Friday, came back to pitch the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader. She was better the second time around, pitching a complete game shutout. Zabala allowed eight hits and two walks but struck out six.
Bumpers said the Lady Lions weren’t as disciplined against Zabala as they were on Friday.
“She had the same pitch sequence just about every batter,” Bumpers said. “She’s going to give you the first pitch strike, and then after that, she’s going to throw the screwball. She’s going to throw a rise ball, and then something back down the middle. She worked in, down, up and out. That was her pitch sequence the whole time. … Just couldn’t square it up.”
Most of the UAPB hits came in the final two innings of the game. Zabala gave up a hit each in the first and second innings but responded by retiring 12 of the next 13 hitters she faced with one walk.
The Lady Lions broke through with three singles in the sixth to load the bases with two outs, but Zabala got a flyout to end the threat. First baseman Kiya Jones, right fielder Shakaidria Hubbard and center fielder Chasney Cooped led off the seventh with three straight singles to load the bases with no outs, trailing 4-0.
Zabala got behind 2-0 in the count against the next hitter, pinch hitter Alyssa Jones, leading to a mound visit. She responded by popping Jones up, then striking out the next hitter and getting another popup in foul territory to leave the bases loaded for a second straight inning and tie the series at one game each.
UAPB pitcher Heidi Price (1-4) had one of her best outings of the season.
She gave up 2 runs on three hits in the first inning but settled in afterward. She allowed eight hits but didn’t walk a batter while collecting two strikeouts.
Bumpers said Price is a workhorse for UAPB.
“She’s always trying to improve, trying to get better every time,” Bumpers said. “She’s one of those silent leaders that goes in, do her job. … She’s not a rah-rah person, but she is a very, very good teammate, and she did a really good job today. We just didn’t play defense behind her.”
Southern shortstop Ava Wallace finished the game 0 for 4 at the plate, but UAPB committed two errors on balls she put into play, one in the third inning, and one in the fifth.
Both errors allowed unearned runs to score, pushing the Southern lead to 4-0.