SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The Tennessee State University Tigers softball team finished their sixth game on a road trip to Texas with a 3-3 eight-inning tie against the University of Incarnate Word Cardinals (8-8-1). The Tigers (9-10-1) had three one-run leads in the contest but couldn't hold on. Freshman Holly Ayala, a native of San Antonio, was the starting pitcher and pitched six innings of seven hit ball, giving up two runs, both earned. Sophomore Caitlyn Manus came on in the sixth with the game tied at two and got out of a runner on second and third with no out jam.

Tiger batters left 11 runners on base. At the plate, freshman Onnika Spencer went 2-for-4 smacking her team-leading fourth home run of the year. Sophomore Alyssia Drayton and freshman Jasmine Blackburn had the other two RBI. Junior Laila Armstrong and grad student Nahtali Simpson had the other two Tiger hits.

HOW IT HAPPENED
With the score tied at zero in the top of the fourth, TSU took the lead, with Simpson leading off the inning with a walk. With one out, Drayton singled to left field, advancing Simpson to second. Blackburn then hit a double knocking in Simpson from second with two outs. The Cardinals tied the score on a two-out home run by Kendall McGary.

TSU retook the lead in the top of the fifth with a two-out rally. Peyton Fointno coaxed a walk and advanced to second on a base hit by Simpson. Ryla Traylor reached on an error loading the bases. Drayton was then hit by a pitch, scoring Fointno.

Manus took over in the circle for Ayala after Avalon Sanchez's single to center, with the score tied at two in the bottom of the seven. UIW tied the score in the bottom of the sixth on a Ryleigh Mata sacrifice fly. UIW managed to get runners on second and third with nobody out. Manus got out of the inning to send the game to extra innings.

Spencer led off the eighth homering deep to left center field. The Tigers looked like they would get an insurance run when Blackburn walked and advanced to third with two outs, but Fointno struck out to end the inning. In the bottom of the inning, Victoria Altamirano led off with a home run to tie the game. Manus got the next three hitters out to finish the game in a tie.

The Tigers have finished their demanding pre-conference schedule with a 9-10-1 record and will take on Lindenwood in a three-game series starting this Saturday.
"I liked how we fought in these first 20 games," said TSU head coach Genee McRath. "We wanted to play good competition to prepare us for the conference schedule. We are here now, have seen a lot, and have been in many of the same situations we will face in the OVC. We could have had a better record, but I will take the learning experiences that he was given over that."
 
 The Tigers start OVC play this Saturday with a doubleheader at Lindenwood. The first game begins at noon.