ITTA BENA, Miss. - After closing out the UCA Michelle Memorial Classic last weekend, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff softball team will get back to action in the Mississippi Valley St. Tournament.   

The Lady Lions will face host team Mississippi Valley St. Friday at 3 p.m. and are scheduled to play a pair of games on Saturday against Florida A&M at 10 a.m. and Tennessee St. at noon. 

The Lady Lions will be playing its 14th game of the season on the road before opening up at home on March 20-21 against Jackson St. 

UAPB leads the series 7-5 against Mississippi Valley St. since 2013. The Lady Lions won the last matchup 10-2 against Tennessee St. in 2017, and this will be the first meeting against the Rattlers.  

Senior Shanice Akins leads the Lady Lions at the plate, ranking ninth in the conference batting .393, is tied for first with two triples, seventh in slugging percentage with an average of .607, and 10th with three stolen bases. 

Freshman Samaria Jackson continues to climb the conference rankings as well. She is tied for first in home runs with two, fifth in slugging percentage with an average of 654, and tied for fourth in doubles with three. 

Junior Anne Gerwitz and Leslie Arreola both are tied for sixth in the conference in home runs with one. Gerwitz also ranks 10th in slugging percentage with an average of .560 and is tied for fourth in doubles with three.  

Junior Shakeidria Hubbard leads UAPB in the circle with 18 strikeouts for the season.

Mississippi Valley St. is led by Brianna Alston, who leads the team batting .321, and Mercedes Silva leads the team on the mound with a .515 ERA and 1-2 record. 

Jasmine Stoudemire leads the Rattlers at the plate, batting .333 with two home runs. Nadia Zenteno leads the team in the circle with an ERA of 6.49 and seven strikeouts. 

Tennessee St. is led by Sarah Snell at the plate with an average of .278, and Abbey Woodall leads the Lady Tigers on the mound with a 1-2 record and a 2.62 ERA.


 

#UAPBLionsAreComing