FORT VALLEY, GA (March 29, 2015) – Fort Valley State dropped game one 5-6, but bounced back to beat Claflin University 11-5 in a double header on Saturday and won the 5-4 decision on Sunday in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference softball action.
 
FVSU improves to 8-15 overall and 8-4 in the SIAC, while Claflin falls to 14-12 and 6-7 in conference play.
 
The Lady Wildcats totaled 32 hits in the three game series with senior short stop Kenya Shakoor posting six hits and senior pitcher Alexis Ricks and sophomore catcher Tatum Maxwell having five hits each.
 
Ricks (5-7) picked up the loss in 7.0 innings, while striking out 10 batters and giving up six earned runs
 
In game one, Claflin jumped out to a 6-0 lead with one run in the first inning and five more in the second inning.
 
FVSU came back to score one run in the fourth inning and four runs in the fifth inning, while falling short. (5-6)
 
Fourth inning, Ricks and junior left fielder Hadiyah Walker walked, both advanced on a passed ball. Ricks scored on a wild pitch. (1-6)
 
Fifth inning, senior Crystal Richmond singled to start the inning, sophomore second baseman Courtney Myles came in to pinch run for Richmond. Ricks and Walker singled scoring Myles. Maxwell singled driving in Ricks. Junior second baseman Tr'Kia Grant doubled to score Walker and Maxwell scored the final run for FVSU on a wild pitch. (5-6)
 
Ricks won her six game of the season by throwing 5.2 innings, allowed one earned run and striking out nine batters
.
Game two, the Panthers took a 5-0 advantage with three runs in the first inning and two runs in the third inning. (5-0)
 
The Lady Wildcats scored two runs in the third inning, one run in the fourth inning and took the lead in the fifth inning with four runs and another four runs in the six innings. (11-5)
 
Third inning, Senior center fielder Asia Buckner and junior third baseman Ashley Polke lead off with a pair of walks, Shakoor singled in Buckner. Richmond singled scoring Polke. (2-5)
 
Fourth inning, sophomore third baseman DeAunna Jackson doubled, while Buckner and Polke singled scoring Jackson. (3-5)
  
Bottom of fifth, Richmond was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, Myles in as a pinch runner. Walker walked, Maxwell singled and Grant tripled to clear the bases scoring Myles, Walker and Maxwell. Jackson drove in Grant on a ground out to the short stop. (6-5)
 
Six innings, Polke and Shakoor led off with singles. Polke advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored of Richmond sac fly to center field. Ricks singled, Walker was hit by a pitch, Maxwell doubled to score Shakoor, Ricks and Walker. (11-5)
 
Ricks (7-7) won Sunday's game by throwing 7.0 innings, striking out six, while allowing one earned run.
 
Claflin scored first in Sunday's game with a run in the first inning and three runs in the third inning. (0-4)
 
FVSU scored single runs in the first, second, third, fifth and winning run in the seventh inning. (5-4)
 
In the first, Polke doubled, Richmond followed with a double to score Polke.
(1-1)
 
Second Inning, Maxwell reached base on an error by the third baseman and advanced to second and third on wild pitches. Jackson singled to score Maxwell. (2-1)
 
Third inning, Shakoor led off with a triple and Richmond's sac fly to right field scored Shakoor. (3-4)
 
In the fifth inning, FVSU tied the game as Shakoor tripled, Richmond reach base on an error by the right fielder and Shakoor scored. (4-4)
 
Bottom of the seventh, Maxwell hit a walk-off single to score Ricks from second for the winning score. Ricks singled to get on, while Walker walked to advance Ricks to second. (5-4)
 
FVSU next game is senior day on Saturday, April 4, as Southern Wesleyan College come a calling for a double header, starting at 1 p.m.