Tuskegee softball slides past Albany State 3-2
JASPER, Ala. (goldentigersports.com) — Acey Spence and Kaylin Finch combined to four-hit Albany State University in a 3-2 victory for the Tuskegee University softball team Friday afternoon.
Spence (2-2) went five innings, allowing two runs (both unearned) on three hits. She walked one and struck out three. Finch, fresh off of her perfect game earlier in the day, came in for the save with two innings of scoreless relief. She struck out two of the seven batters she faced.
Tuskegee (6-20, 6-1 SIAC), winners of six consecutive conference games, scored three runs in the second inning to pull away from Albany State (8-16, 6-4 SIAC). The Lady Golden Tigers got on the board first when Kenyah Smith stole second, allowing Finch to steal home on the throw down to second for the quick 1-0 lead. The lead grew when Roneshia Rudolph picked up her eighth RBI of the day – first of the game – on an infield single to score Smith.
The final run came courtesy of a single off the bat of Sharde Thomas. The freshman drove in Rudolph for the final run of the inning – and the game for Tuskegee.
Albany State was able to score two in the fifth, with the second coming on a bizarre play. They trimmed the deficit to 3-1 on a Malea Maye single to left that went under the glove of Smith, and allowed Tiffany Mass to score all the way from first.
The final run from Albany State came with two outs in the inning and Rudolph snagged a fly ball off the bat of Toni Coleman as she went over the outfield wall for the final out of the inning. However, the run was allowed to count via the “catch and carry” rule and trimmed the deficit to 3-2.
Finch came in after the top half of the sixth inning to shut the door on Albany State. She was also the only player in the game with multiple hits, finishing 2-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base.
Tuskegee returns to action tomorrow morning in the SIAC Crossover, facing Claflin University at 10 am. They will also face Fort Valley State at 6 pm to close out the weekend of play.
