Nashville --- The Tennessee State University softball team fought back to defeat Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 6-5, in extra innings after falling to the Cougars, 11-0, in the opening game of Friday night's doubleheader.

Tennessee State (11-40, 5-21 OVC) snapped a 10-game losing skid while SIU Edwardsville moved to 23-23 (15-8 OVC). The victory was TSU's first 10-inning game of the season.

In the opener, the Tigers were saddled with errors and the offense never got going in the shut-out.

In game two the Tigers trailed, 3-0, early but clawed back into the game and eventually won the contest in extra innings. TSU used timely hits from Tedra Alford and Brittany Webb to seal the win.

Game One

Freshman pitcher Olivia Gamache was charged with the loss while Erika Taylor earned the win for SIU Edwardsville.

Jasmine Brimm , Brittany Webb and Shanika Johnson each recorded a hit for TSU while Taylor Tooley (2-for-4) led SIUE with three RBI.

Back-to-back walks coupled with a hit and an error led to SIU Edwardsville scoring two runs in the second inning. The Cougars posted two more runs to go ahead, 4-0, before the frame ended.

TSU had an opportunity to put runs on the board in the bottom half of the frame after loading the bases with two outs. But Erika Taylor threw her third strikeout of the inning to halt the Tiger rally.

SIUE increased its advantage to, 8-0, after scoring runs in third and fourth innings.

Then, in the top of the fifth, the Cougars tacked on three more runs to make the score, 11-0.

After the Tigers went down in order in the bottom of fifth, the game ended due to the mercy rule.

TSU finished the game three hits and four errors while SIUE tallied 12 hits and did not commit an error.

Game Two

Kelly Troglin was solid for TSU as she recorded three strikeouts and walked four in the winning effort. Three pitchers saw action in the circle for SIUE but Erika Taylor was tagged with the loss.

Jalisa Bradley went 2-for-2 at the plate and led the Tigers with two RBI while Megan Murphy had a 3-for-4 showing for the Cougars.

In the first inning the Cougars grabbed a, 1-0, lead behind a sacrifice fly. With two outs, the Tigers were on the way out of the inning when a costly error and another SIUE hit led to two more runs scoring.

In the bottom of the half, TSU got on the board when Jalisa Bradley hit a two-out single the opposite way to score Tedra Alford .

The Tigers used a two-out rally to tie the game in the bottom of the third. Brimm singled through the middle before stealing second. She scored following a wild pitch and an error. Bradley reached on the wild pitch and scored all the way from first when Kelly Troglin singled to right field.

SIUE jumped back on top, 4-3, after a two-out hit down the right field line scored a run the top of the fourth.

TSU was unable to answer in the bottom half of the frame but the TSU defense was solid in the top of the fifth.

In the bottom of the fifth, Tedra Alford walked before Lindsey Coleman came in to pitch for Ali Downing.

Alford advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Brittany Webb before Jalisa Bradley doubled down the left field line to drive in a run and pull TSU even, 4-4.

Neither team was able to score in the sixth or seventh inning as the game went into extra frames.

With two outs in the top of the ninth, an error allowed SIUE to get a runner on first. Murphy stole second and then advanced to third on a throwing error. Troglin walked the next batter but got a fly out to right field to end the inning without any runs scoring.

The Tigers went down in order in the bottom of the ninth so the game went to the International Tiebreaker Rule, which puts a runner on second base to start the inning.

With the visitors at bat, a sacrifice bunt moved the runner over to third before Taylor Tooley singled through the left side to put the Cougars up, 5-4.

In TSU's half of the inning, Shanika Johnson was on second when Tedra Alford singled through the middle to even the score, 5-5. Later, Alford moved to second on a passed ball. With the game on the line, Brittany Webb stepped up and singled to right center to drive in the winning run.

Tennessee State had eight hits and three errors in the game while SIU Edwardsville posted nine hits and one miscue.

TSU will conclude the series versus SIUE tomorrow afternoon at Tiger Field. The single game will begin at 1 p.m.