Alcorn State softball will host Mississippi Valley State in a midweek doubleheader Tuesday at the Alcorn Softball Complex in Lorman, Mississippi. The games, scheduled to start at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., will be nonconference despite featuring two Southwestern Athletic Conference teams, according to the school.
The Braves enter the doubleheader with a 9-18 record and are 0-7 in SWAC play. They are looking to end a 10-game losing streak in midweek contests, according to team statistics. Yahnya Acevedo leads the team with a .338 batting average and nine multi-hit games. She also has three home runs this season. Paris Thompson (.308) and Ka’Miya Dillon (.300) are also hitting above .300, though Dillon has gone hitless in 10 of her last 11 games.
Alcorn has three players with multiple home runs, including Acevedo, Thompson, and Alainah Felton. In the circle, Olison has six wins with a 6-10 record. The team’s collective ERA is 7.09, with Felton posting a team-low 6.55 ERA. The team’s last game ended in a 3-2 loss to Texas Southern, with Jade McQueen delivering the game-winning RBI in the fourth inning.
Mississippi Valley State holds a 69-42 advantage in the all-time series since 1997. However, Alcorn has won seven of the last 10 meetings, including the last two. Earlier this season, Alcorn defeated MVSU 22-5 in Montgomery, Alabama. MVSU last beat Alcorn 16-15 on March 19, 2025, in Itta Bena, Mississippi, according to school records, the source said.
Coach Billie said the team has learned from adversity and is motivated to perform well at home. She emphasized the importance of starting strong in both games and playing with confidence. “We want to come out aggressive, play loose, and remind ourselves what we’re capable of,” she said.
Mississippi Valley State, with a 1-19 record, is led by second-year head coach Taliyah Riddick-Waters. The Delta Devils have a team batting average of .3245 and an ERA of 11.69, according to rankings from USA Today/NFCA Coaches and ESPN.com/USA Softball.
Alcorn’s last game was a 3-2 loss at Texas Southern on Saturday. Jade McQueen delivered a crucial RBI single in the fourth inning, but the Braves couldn’t overcome a strong relief performance by Melonie Guardiola.
The team will now travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for a three-game SWAC series against Southern starting Friday at 4 p.m., the school announced.
