Prairie View, Texas — Alcorn State softball heads to Prairie View A&M this weekend for a three-game SWAC Western Division series. The games will be played at Lady Panthers Softball Stadium, starting with a doubleheader Friday at 1 p.m. and concluding with a single game Saturday at noon, according to team sources.
The series comes as Alcorn tries to break a four-game losing streak. Despite sitting at the bottom of the division standings, the Braves have three games in hand and remain in contention for a spot in the SWAC Tournament in Gulfport, Mississippi, the team said. Key players include Rajayla McBride, who leads the team with a .333 batting average, and Yahnya Acevedo, with 38 hits and 22 RBIs. Six players have hit three home runs this season.
Alcorn’s pitchers include Chiara Olison, with seven wins, and Alainah Felton, who has four victories. Offensively, Paris Thompson boasts a .311 batting average against SWAC opponents and has seven RBIs. Mariah Morgan has posted five multi-RBI games this season, team officials added.
Prairie View A&M holds a commanding 26-7 lead in the series since 2011 and has won the last 16 straight matchups, dating back to 2022. The last series victory for Alcorn was in 2016, when the Braves won three straight games in Prairie View.
Coach Billie said her team respects Prairie View’s success but is focused on winning. “We’re coming to Texas to win. Our girls have been preparing all week,” she said. “Playing on the road is a great test of character and preparation. We’re ready for that challenge.”
The Panthers, ranked NR by USA Today/NFCA Coaches and ESPN.com/USA Softball, enter the series with a 22-14 record overall and a 14-1 mark in SWAC play. Vernon Bland is in his 15th season coaching Prairie View.
In their last game, Alcorn fell 7-2 to Memphis on Tuesday. Rajayla McBride went 2-for-2 at the plate, while Memphis’s Avery Stutts earned the win in relief. Alcorn will next play Southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday in Hammond, Louisiana.
