BATON ROUGE, La. — The Southern University softball team returns to the friendly confines of Lady Jaguar Field for a pivotal Southwestern Athletic Conference series against Arkansas–Pine Bluff beginning April 10.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Dates: April 10–11
Times (CT): 5 p.m. | 12 p.m. | 2 p.m.
Location: Lady Jaguar Field | Baton Rouge, La.
 
Southern (24-12, 10-5 SWAC) enters the weekend riding the momentum of a crucial road series win over Texas Southern that moved the Lady Jaguars into second place in the SWAC Western Division, one game ahead of the Tigers. After dropping the opener 1-0, Southern responded with a 7-5 victory in game two and a dramatic 3-2 extra-inning win in the finale.
 
Asia George paced the offense with a blistering .700 batting average, tallying a double, two RBIs and four runs scored across the series. The senior accounted for one of Southern's three hits in the opener before delivering a perfect 4-for-4 performance in game two, scoring three runs and driving in two while factoring into every scoring play. In the extra-inning finale, George went 2-for-3 and crossed the plate with the game-tying run.
 
Kira Manganello, Laila Clark, Katiana Maldonado, Abigail Mitchell and Ariel Burton also turned in multi-hit performances throughout the series. With the wind blowing in, Mitchell powered the Lady Jaguars' lone home run of the weekend to right field, a three-run blast that proved pivotal in game two. She finished the series with four RBIs.
 
Inside the circle, Aaliyah Zabala and Chakirrious Parker stifled the Tigers' offense, allowing just five earned runs over 21 innings. Zabala shouldered the bulk of the workload with 15 innings pitched, earning the win in the series finale and recording a save in game two. Parker contributed six strong innings, allowing two runs to secure the game two victory.
 
Defensively, Jaciee Massey played a vital role in preserving Southern's wins from the outfield. The sophomore tracked down multiple deep fly balls in game one to keep Texas Southern from extending its lead. Her defensive presence continued in game two, and in the finale she delivered one of the weekend's biggest moments, robbing a potential go-ahead home run in the third inning before catching the final out to seal the victory.
 
FOLLOW THE JAGUARS
For complete coverage of Southern University Athletics, please follow the Jaguars on social media at @SouthernUsports(Twitter), @SouthernUJaguars (Facebook), @southernusports (Instagram), or visit the official home of Southern University Athletics at www.gojagsports.com

#GoJags   #SouthernIsTheStandard   #ProwlOn   #BeyondTheStandard