Tiaria Norman2
Gene Breland, Orangeburg, SC
Norman picked up her 600th Career Strikeout today
3
Winner Tuskegee TU 12-33
1
Claflin University CLAFSB18 24-27
Winner
Tuskegee TU
12-33
3
Final
1
Claflin University CLAFSB18
24-27
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 R H E
Tuskegee TU 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 3 5 4
Claflin University CLAFSB18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 11 3

W: Mowery (6-12) L: Norman, Tiaria (18-14)

Game Recap: Softball | | Romanda Noble-Watson, SID

Tuskegee Outlast Claflin in Opening Game of 2018 SIAC Softball Championships

Norman Surpass the 600th Career Strikeout Mark

Albany, Ga. --  Tuskegee University scored two runs in the top of the 11th and held Claflin University scoreless in its half of the inning en route to defeating the Lady Panthers, 3-1, in the opening round of the 2018 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) softball championships.
 
The Lady Panthers will face Clark Atlanta at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 4 at the Gordon Sports Complex in Albany, Ga.  The double-elimination tournament will run through Saturday, May 5 at Gordon Sports Complex. 
 
Kayla Cato, the 2018 SIAC Player of the Year, scored the Lady Panthers lone run of the contest off an RBI by Tiara Norman, the 2018 SIAC Pitcher of the Year, in the bottom of the ninth.
 
Norman went the distance for the Lady Panthers allowing just five hits against 13 strikeouts and five walks in the loss. Norman also recorded her 600th career strikeout and has 609 to date.
 
Alexandria Mason had two runs and Sierra Smith had three hits to lead Tuskegee.  Chelsea Mowery gave up 11 hits and had three strikeouts.
 
The contest was a defense battle through the first five inning of the contest.  During that period, Claflin managed to put seven runners on the pad via six hit.  Tuskegee's first hit did not come until the top of the 6th inning when Smith hit a double to right-center.
 
Both teams had several changes during regulation to get a run across as the Lady Panthers stranded 11 and the Lady Golden Tigers left nine on base.
 
The first run of the game came in the top of the ninth inning as Tuskegee's Mason scored off a throwing error by the Lady Panthers pitcher with two outs.
 
With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Cato hit a triple down the left field to get into scoring position.  The triple was followed by a walk and stolen base by Kaela Robinson.  With one out and two on, Norman hit an RBI groundout to third base to score Cato and tie the game at 1-1 heading into the 10th.
 
After Claflin defense held the Lady Golden Tigers scoreless in its half of the 10th, the Lady Panthers put two runners on base but left both players stranded in the bottom of the inning.
 
Tuskegee took advantage of a miscue by Claflin defense in the top 11th.  With two runners on and two outs, Smith hit a RBI single to score Mason for the go-ahead run.  The Lady Golden Tigers picked up their third run of the game on a fielding error by Claflin third baseman for the two-run lead.
 
Claflin placed it second batter off the inning on base but could not get any other runners on, en route to the two run loss.
 
Should the Lady Panthers win they will face the winner of the Miles/Albany State game.
 
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