DECATUR, Ala. – Thomasina Garza (4-for-4) led Texas Southern University to its second consecutive SWAC Softball Championship as the Lady Tigers defeated Alabama State University 9-0, Saturday afternoon at Wilson Morgan Park.
Garza was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament (MVP) for the second year in a row. In the first inning, Brianna Parker hit a single to bring home Jessica Miller for the Lady Tigers' first score.
Neither team would score again until the top of the fourth when TSU used a double to score Garza, making the score 2-0. Texas Southern managed two additional runs before closing out the inning with a four run lead.
A two-run double courtesy of Parker allowed Garza her second run of the day. The scoring outburst continued as TSU finished the fifth frame up by a score of 6-0.
Krystalani Yockman put the finishing touches on a dominate performance by Texas Southern as she slammed a homerun into centerfield, leaving the score at 9-0 in the top of the seventh which would subsequently be the games' final tally.
Sammantha Jimenez (7-4) pitched a seven-inning shutout - her first this season. After facing 29 batters, she only allowed eight hits, and one walk, while tossing one strikeout. Garza and Chanler Powell managed a game-high two runs, while Yockman secured a game-high three RBI.
Texas Southern finished the tournament undefeated in tourney competition at 4-0. This years' championship marks the second of TSU head coach Worley Barkers' career and he is the first coach in the history of the program to lead his team to back-to-back titles.
A total of four Lady Tigers were named to the All-Conference team – Garza, Parker, Brianna Simpson and Chelsea Guenther.
The Texas Southern Lady Tigers will learn their NCAA Tournament fate on Sunday at 9:00 pm during the Softball Selection Show set to be broadcast live on ESPNU.
SWAC Tournament MVPThomasina Garza – Texas Southern UniversitySWAC All-Tournament TeamAnisa Britt – Alabama A&M University
Alexandra Dobbins – Mississippi Valley State University
Alicia Barajas – Southern University and A&M College
Canessa Swanson – Jackson State University
Jenna Mae Thorne – Alabama State University
Chelsea King – Alabama State University
Kendall Core – Alabama State University
Brianna Parker – Texas Southern University
Brianna Simpson – Texas Southern University
Chelsea Guenther – Texas Southern University
