Jerrell Jordan

Jasmine Rios, The Nation's Leading DII Batter In Triples Per Game, Gets A Hit Against Winston-Salem State

Softball 4/20/2018 8:38:00 PM Office of Sports Information

SAU Softball Sweeps WSSU, Plays For Division Title Sunday On Senior Day (April 22)

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 RALEIGH, N.C. (April 20) – Saint Augustine's University relied on solid hitting, pitching and defense to sweep Winston-Salem State University by identical 5-3 scores in a key CIAA Southern Division softball doubleheader at Lions Park Friday.

The Lady Falcons (7-1 Southern Division, 14-8 overall) swept the Rams for the first time in quite a while, and it came at a good time. They gained sole possession of first place in the Southern Division standings with a doubleheader showdown looming against second-place Fayetteville State University (5-1 Southern Division, 9-21 overall) on Sunday, April 22, at Lions Park. The Lady Falcons can close out the regular season by winning the division championship on Senior Day.

SAU put itself in position to challenge for the title by taking care of the Rams, a perennial division contender. One of the best hitting Division II teams in the nation, the Lady Falcons showed other facets of their game in the twinbill.

Marley Parker (Sr./Langley, British Columbia) and Makayla August (So./Palm Springs, CA) combined to limit the Rams to eight hits, including a two-hitter by August in the second game. The Lady Falcons committed fewer errors than the Rams as they made several eye-popping plays on defense.

In the first game, left fielder Jasmine Rios (Sr./Greensboro, NC) chased down and caught a fly ball headed in the gap for a potential run-scoring hit. Third baseman Haley Sessoms (So./Kenansville, NC) turned what could have been a two-run line drive into a double play when she made a leaping catch and throw to first base for the tag out. Second baseman Mechelle Moss (Fr./Nassau, Bahamas) used her speed to catch several fly balls in foul territory both games.

In addition to their defense and pitching, the Lady Falcons maintained their offensive reputation against the Rams (2-4 Southern Division, 7-24 overall). Ranked seventh nationally in batting average and first in triples per game, the Lady Falcons totaled 15 hits including eight in the first game.

The nation's third-ranked team in doubles per game, the Lady Falcons collected four doubles. Rios, who leads the country in triples per game, added a three-bagger. She was 2-for-3 with a double, triple, two RBIs and one run scored. Tamiera Sanchez (So./Sacramento, CA) was 2-for-2 with three runs scored while Parker and August each added an RBI.

The Lady Falcons took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Rios' RBI triple and Parker's double. The Rams responded with three runs in the second inning but the Lady Falcons tied the game 3-3 in the third on August's one-run double. They gained the lead for good on Rios' RBI double in the fifth and a passed ball in the sixth which scored Sessoms.

With August containing the Rams on the mound, the Lady Falcons needed only a few runs to win the second game. They quickly erased a 1-0 deficit in the bottom of the first on Parker's RBI double and an infield error which scored Rios.

The Rams regained the lead 3-2 with two runs in the third, but the Lady Falcons scored two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth for the final score. Sanchez hit a two-run double in the fourth and Sessoms earned an RBI in the fifth.

Sanchez was the top hitter for the Lady Falcons as she batted 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and one run scored. Parker was 2-for-3 with a double, one RBI and one run scored.

The Lady Falcons will need a similar all-around effort on Sunday to dispatch the Broncos. The first game begins at 12 p.m. followed by the second contest at approximately 2 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#7 Marley Parker: P/UTIL; 5' 10"; Junior

#4 Jasmine Rios: CF/Util; 5' 7"; Junior

#22 Makayla August: P/SS; 5' 8"; Freshman

#5 Tamiera Sanchez: CF/SS; 5' 5"; Freshman

#9 Haley Sessoms: SS/Util; 5' 5"; Freshman

#1 Mechelle Moss: P/UTIL; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#7 Marley Parker
: 5' 10"; Junior
: P/UTIL

#4 Jasmine Rios
: 5' 7"; Junior
: CF/Util

#22 Makayla August
: 5' 8"; Freshman
: P/SS

#5 Tamiera Sanchez
: 5' 5"; Freshman
: CF/SS

#9 Haley Sessoms
: 5' 5"; Freshman
: SS/Util

#1 Mechelle Moss
: Freshman
: P/UTIL

Players Mentioned

Players Mentioned

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