BATON ROUGE, La. — Southern used timely power hitting and dominant relief pitching in the second game of the doubleheader after an early offensive surge in the opener to complete a Saturday doubleheader sweep of Alcorn State at Lady Jaguar Field.
 
The Lady Jaguars improved to 22-11 overall and 8-4 in SWAC play with 9-4 and 10-7 victories.
 
Game 1: Southern 9, Alcorn State 4
Southern wasted little time setting the tone, scoring three runs in the first inning behind a three-run home run from Abigail Mitchell. The Lady Jaguars added on in nearly every inning through the fifth to build a comfortable cushion.
 
Katiana Maldonado sparked the offense from the bottom of the order, going 1-for-1 with a double, two runs scored and a stolen base, while Prestaisha White drove in two key runs during a three-run fourth inning that stretched the lead to 8-2.
 
Ariel Burton added a solo homer in the third and finished with two runs scored, while Mitchell totaled three RBIs on the day.
 
In the circle, Chakirrious Parker delivered a complete-game performance. Parker scattered seven hits and allowed four runs while keeping Alcorn from mounting any sustained rally. She worked efficiently, inducing 12 groundouts to earn her fourth win of the season.
 
Game 2: Southern 10, Alcorn State 7
Alcorn State jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and later held a 7-5 advantage after three frames, fueled by three home runs. Southern responded with patience and power of its own.
 
Jaciee Massey ignited the comeback with a two-run homer in the first inning. Prestaisha White added a solo shot in the second, and Southern chipped away to stay within striking distance.
The decisive blow came in the sixth inning.
 
Trailing 7-5, Massey singled and stole second to start the rally. Laila Clark drove her in with an RBI single, Abigail Mitchell tied the game with an RBI double, and Ariel Burton delivered the biggest swing of the day, a two-run homer to give Southern a 9-7 lead. A sacrifice fly from Manganello capped the five-run frame.
 
After allowing seven runs through the first three innings, Southern's pitching staff shut the door. Aaliyah Zabala was dominant in relief, tossing 4.1 scoreless innings and allowing just one hit while striking out three to earn the win.
 
Massey finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs, while Clark, Mitchell and Burton each had multi-hit performances in Southern's 14-hit attack.
 
UP NEXT
Southern will travel to Houston for a key Western Division series with Texas Southern. The Lady Jaguars and Tigers are tied for second in the division heading into the second half of conerence play.


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