JACKSON, Miss.| The Jackson State softball team opened its 2024 campaign hosting the River City Classic at the JSU Softball Field. The Tigers faced Arlington Baptist and Grambling State on the first day of the tournament. JSU held both of its opponents to no runs scored and defeated ABU in five innings.

Game 1: JSU, 8 ABU, 0 (5 innings)

How It Happened

• Jackson State (1-0) opened the game with three up and three down on defense as Victoria Salazar struck the first two batters out and the third out came from a fly ball to Madison Perry.
• Ka'Liyah Gipson led off for the Tigers in the bottom of the first and grounded out to first base.
• Jalia Hubbard was walked and stole second during Mari Stephens' at-bat.
• Stephens registered JSU's second out of the inning after laying a sacrifice bunt down that allowed Hubbard to advance to third.
• The Tigers left its runner on third as Meah Almaraz flied out to center field to close the first inning.
• The Patriots reached on back-to-back errors committed by the JSU defense to be placed in scoring position.
• ABU's Amber Aguilar was thrown out at the plate by Samiyyah Huckabee for out number two in the inning.
• Reagan Chan flied out to centerfield as the Patriots left one on in the top of the second.
• Jace Jackson registered the Tigers first hit of the game with a single to left field.
• Julie Lopez grounded out to the pitcher but was able to move both runners to second and third.
• Jackson scored on an error committed by ABU's pitcher during Gabrielle Willis' at bat and Perry advanced to third.
• Samiyyah Huckabee scored Perry on a sacrifice fly that also advanced Willis to third.
• Ka'Liyah Gipson singled on a bunt that brought Willis home as the Tigers closed out the second inning with a 3-0 lead.
• After another three-and-out inning for the Jackson State defense, Stephens opened the bottom with a homerun.
• Jackson hit an RBI double to right field to score Almaraz giving JSU a 5-0 advantage.
• Lopez singled to left field scoring Jackson as JSU closed out the third with three runs, three hits, no errors, and one left on base. 
• After a quiet fourth inning for both teams, Jackson State wrapped up the game with a two-run double from Lopez to end the game.

Inside the Numbers

• Ka'Liyah Gipson, Jace Jackson, and Julie Lopez each had two hits in the game. 
• Lopez led the team in RBIs with three.
• Mari Stephens hit a solo home run in the game.
• Victoria Salazar recorded five strikeouts, walked on batter and only allowed one hit to secure the win in the circle for JSU.

Game 2: JSU, 2 GSU, 0

Jackson State scored in the bottom of the second inning and again in the bottom of the fifth as a brick wall defense held Grambling State to no runs in game two of the River City Classic. 

Three Tigers registered hits in the game led by Ka'Liyah Gipson, Meah Almaraz and Julie Lopez. 

Jackson State (2-0) scored two unearned runs to secure the 2-0 win.

Victoria Salazar (2-0) registered another win in the circle after pitching four innings. Salazar allowed only two hits and struck out two batters.

Dacia Richard (0-1) took the loss for Grambling State after pitching six innings.

Lopez singled to center field to score Jace Jackson in the bottom of the second with one out. In the bottom of the fifth, Gipson grounded out to third base and Samiyyah Huckabee scored on a throwing error from the first baseman.

Grambling State finished with three hits, two strikeouts, three errors and eight left on base in the game. JSU finished with two runs, three hits and no errors to record the win.

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