Texas Southern to Face Alabama State in Softball Championship

DECATUR, Alabama -- Western division champion, Texas Southern University, will face Alabama State University in the 2015 Southwestern Athletic Conference Softball Championship Saturday, May 9, at Wilson Morgan Park. The first pitch is set for 2 p.m. CST.

The Tigers will make their second consecutive appearance in the SWAC softball tournament championship game after defeating SWAC eastern division champion, Jackson State University, 7-5. TSU grabbed its fifth SWAC western division title this season with efforts from Thomasina Garza, Jessica Miller and Brianna Parker.

This will be Texas Southern’s third time participating in the championship game – the first being in 2000, and the second being last season when they were crowned SWAC champions.

Garza looks to lead the team in her final year after claiming a conference-high batting average of .432, slugging percentage of .730, on base percentage of .529, 46 RBI and seven homeruns. During the game against JSU, Garza hit a double to tie the game, 5-5, followed by Parker’s homerun, which scored two runners and won the game for the Tigers.

COURTESY SWAC MEDIA RELATIONS

This is the second time in two years the Hornets will appear in the SWAC softball championship game. In the 2013 season, ASU was eliminated by Mississippi Valley State University, 11-3.

Chelsea King plans to guide the team to its first SWAC championship title in the history of its program after producing a 8-6 win/loss record. King claimed her eighth career win and second shutout game during the semifinals against Jackson State - throwing six strikeouts and only allowing one walk and six hits.

Alabama State dropped a 5-2 decision to Texas Southern the first/last time the two teams met this season. Sammantha Jimenez was credited the win, pitching two strikeouts with zero walks and only four hits. Chelsea Guenther managed a game-high two runs, while Kacey Creel and Alexis Johnson registered a game-high two RBI.

The Hornets led the tournment in batting average (.317) and pitching avera
ge (1.04), with individual first place positions in hits, double, triples and total bases.

The championship game will be televised on ESPN3.

COURTESY SWAC MEDIA RELATIONS