JACKSON, Miss. — Layla Watts hit her first college home run to spark Alcorn State’s offense, leading the Braves to a 7-3 win over Arlington Baptist in non-conference softball Friday at the River City Classic at JSU Softball Field.
Arlington Baptist struck first, with catcher Mariely Duran singling to open the second inning and scoring on a Patriots’ single. The Patriots took a 2-0 lead before Alcorn responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning, aided by a Patriots error that allowed two runs to score.
The Patriots pulled within one in the fifth, courtesy of back-to-back singles from Caelie Evans and Elizabeth Werner that scored Duran and Evans. However, Alcorn retook the lead in the bottom of the inning, with Olivia Miller reaching on a walk and later scoring on a groundout by catcher Paris Thompson.
Watts sparked the bottom of the sixth with her first career home run, a leadoff shot to left field that extended Alcorn’s lead to 5-3. The Braves added two more runs later in the inning, including a two-run single from Ka’Miya Dillon that scored Karmen Bernard and Sanai Salvant, sealing the victory.
Chiara Olison earned the win in the circle for Alcorn, allowing three runs on six hits over seven innings while striking out three. Jenika Fuentes took the loss for Arlington Baptist, giving up seven runs on 11 hits in five innings. Reliever Ali Nuno finished the game for the Patriots.
Bernard led the Braves with a perfect 3-for-3 effort at the plate, driving in a run and scoring once. For Arlington Baptist, Evans went 3-for-4, and Duran finished 2-for-3 at the plate.
Alcorn State returns to action Saturday, facing Alabama A&M at noon and Jackson State at 2 p.m. Both games are part of the River City Classic and are non-conference matchups.
