COVINGTON, Ga. — The Southern University softball team unleashed an explosive offensive attack Friday, sweeping a pair of games with an 8-5 win over Howard University and a 7-4 victory against Claflin University.
 
A late two-run home run against the Bison and a momentum-shifting grand slam against the Panthers powered the Lady Jaguars (2-4) to a statement sweep.
 
Game 1: Southern 8, Howard 5
After surrendering four runs in the first three innings, Southern responded with timely hitting and clutch extra-base knocks to turn the tide.
 
The Lady Jaguars broke through in the fourth inning. Ava Wallace sparked the rally with two outs on a single and stolen base before Izabell Astran laced an RBI double to left to get Southern on the board. Abigail Mitchell followed with a run-scoring single up the middle, cutting the deficit to 4-2 and shifting the momentum.
 
Southern delivered its decisive blow in the sixth. Keira Miracle-Tilford opened the frame with a triple to right, and Wallace followed with a single to put runners at the corners. Mitchell came through again, drilling a two-run double to right field to tie the game at 4-4. Two batters later, Prestaish White launched a towering two-run homer to left, giving Southern a 6-4 lead it would not relinquish.
 
The Lady Jaguars added insurance in the seventh as Wallace ripped an RBI triple to right to score Asia George, and Mitchell capped her standout performance with an RBI triple of her own to make it 8-5.
 
Mitchell led the charge, going 3-for-4 with a double, triple and four RBIs. Wallace finished 3-for-4 with a triple and three runs scored, while White added two RBIs on her go-ahead blast. Southern pounded out 11 hits, including five for extra bases, and hit .344 as a team.
 
Game 2: Southern 7, Claflin 4
Southern carried its offensive rhythm into the nightcap, striking early and using one swing to create separation.
 
The Lady Jaguars opened the scoring in the second inning when Astran doubled to left and later crossed the plate on a fielder's choice by White. A Claflin miscue allowed Southern to extend its lead to 2-0.
 
The breakthrough inning came in the fourth. After Astran reached and Jaicee Massey entered as a pinch runner and swiped second, Southern loaded the bases with one out. White delivered a single to right to keep the pressure on, setting the stage for Laila Clark. Clark crushed a grand slam to left field, stretching the advantage to 6-1.
 
Southern added another run in the inning on a sacrifice fly by Asia George, capping a five-run outburst that proved to be the difference.
 
Clark drove in four runs with her grand slam, while White contributed a hit and an RBI. Astran and Calli Schell added key base hits as Southern made the most of its seven hits, pairing timely contact with aggressive baserunning.
 
Across both games, Southern totaled 18 hits and 15 runs, collecting eight extra-base hits and delivering in critical moments. The Lady Jaguars' balanced lineup, situational hitting and game-changing power swings fueled a productive day at the plate and a well-earned sweep.
 
UP NEXT
Southern will take on North Carolina A&T at 10 a.m. and Maryland Eastern Shore at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday as the tournament continues.


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