The Clark Atlanta University Lady Panthers softball team went down to south Georgia last weekend to face Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's East Division rival, Savannah State University.

The Lady Panthers (4-27, 2-12 SIAC) didn't fare well, losing three straight to the Savannah State 9-14, 7-7 SIAC) and extending CAU's losing streak to four games. 

CAU was coming off a doubleheader split at Lane in which the Lady Panthers erupted for 29 runs in two games.

Last weekend in their first game with SSU, the Lady Panthers jumped out in the first when Johnnas Bentley doubled in Jazmin Scott to put CAU up 1-0.  The bottom of the inning saw the Tigers strike back with Da'Ondalyn Simmons doubling in two to put Savannah State up 2-1.

The top of the third saw the Lady Panthers surge again as Tatianna Kelly singled and Rachel Carroll reached on an error.  Jayla Hill then singled, driving in both, to put CAU up 3-2. SSU's Janesa Robinson then put SSU back in front in the bottom of the third when she singled in a run and then scored on a Casey Sims double to retake the lead at 4-3.

The Lady Panthers weren't done as Bentley walked and Kelly singled in the top of the fourth.  Carroll's double down the right field line drove both in and again put CAU in front at 5-4.  CAU added three more runs in the fifth as Hill reached on an error and Joh'nell Clark singled. Clark was replaced by Domebi Odiong who scored with Hill when Arianna Hansley reached on a fielder's choice.  That put CAU up 8-4. 

Savannah State countered with two runs in both the fifth and sixth to tie the game at 8-8 heading into the seventh.   Odiong reached on an error in the top of the seventh and advanced to second on Sania Butler's single.  Hansley then again reached on a fielders' choice that scored Odiong, followed by Bentley also reaching on a fielder's choice that scored Butler.  Kelly then singled to drive in Scott to put the Lady Panthers up 11-8 heading into the bottom of the seventh and SSU's final chance. 

But SSU rapped out three hits and scored four runs, aided by two CAU errors.  The two winning runs came on a game-ending, two-run homer by Alisyn Ferrell, giving the Tigers a 12-11 come-from-behind victory.

Kelly had a big game, going 4-for-5 with a run batted in and scoring twice.  Hansley had three RBIs and scored once while Bentley doubled, had two RBIs and scored a run. Carroll singled and drove in two runs and scored once, while Butler was 2-for-3 with a run scored.  On the mound, Hill gave up 12 runs – only four earned – and 16 hits over six-and-two-thirds innings.

Jalexia Wright had three hits and scored two runs; Morgan Green had two hits, an RBI, and scored three times; and Simmons was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.  JaNesa Robinson had two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored. Ferrell pitched seven innings and gave up 11 hits and 11 runs, five of them earned.  She struck out five hitters.

The first game of Saturday's doubleheader saw the Lady Panthers jump on SSU pitching early. In the first inning, Scott and Hansley both scored on wild pitches; Kelly homered and drove in Bentley, and Carroll tripled and scored as CAU leaped out to a 5-0 lead. 

Two errors and a hit allowed SSU to score two in the bottom of the first.  In the top of the second, Scott singled and scored on a Hansley base hit. Hansley eventually scored on a wild pitch as CAU went up 7-2.  But SSU had a big inning in the bottom of the second, scoring seven runs on six hits to take a 9-7 lead.  SSU added a run in the third and another in the fourth on a Rahkell Holden homer to extend their lead to 11-7.

The fifth saw CAU got a run in the fifth when Carroll scored on Sarah Colbert's single to make it 11-8.  But CAU could only manage one more hit and no runs the rest of the game as Savannah State took the first game of the day 12-8.

Scott had a big game for CAU with three hits, including a double, and two runs scored. Kelly was was 1-for-4 with two RBIs on her home run. Carroll had two hits, including a triple, and two runs scored. Hansley had a hit, an RBI and two runs scored.  Chesterfield took the loss pitching two-two-and-thirds innings, giving nine hits and ten runs, five of them earned.  Hill pitched the final three-and-one-third innings giving up four hits and two runs.

Dudley had three hits, two RBIs and two runs scored for ASU.  Simmons' homer accounted for two RBIs and a run scored; Jocelyn Lozano had two hits and a run scored; and Holden had two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored.  Ferrell added two hits, and RBI and a run scored, while Wright had two hits, a RBI, and a run scored. Ferrell got the win on the mound, pitching a complete game, giving up 11 hits and eight runs while striking out three.

In the final game of the series, CAU jumped out in front for the third consecutive game as Scott scored on a passed ball and Bentley scored on an error to put CAU up 2-0.  SSU put up four runs on four hits in the bottom of first to go up 4-2.

SSU had a big third inning, with five hits including a Robinson grand slam home run to go up 12-2. CAU dug into that lead in the third as Scott walked, Hansley singled, and Bentley reached on an error that scored Scott. Kelly then singled in two runs and then scored on a wild pitch. Scott came back up later and singled and drove in Carroll as CAU made it 12-8. 

But another big inning for SSU put the game out of reach as Lozano hit a grand slam, highlighting a third inning that saw the Tigers score seven runs on five hits and two errors to go up 19-8.  They added 11 runs in the fourth on their way to a wild 30-12 victory.

Kelly led the way for CAU with her homer and a single. She had four RBIs and scored twice. Scott was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Hill took the loss on the mound, pitching 3.2 innings and giving up 17 earned runs.

SSU got homers from Robinson, Lozano and Holden.  Robinson had RBI's and four runs; Lozano had five RBIs and four runs scored; and Holden had six RBIs, three hits and three runs scored.  On the mound Ferrell got the win, giving up six hits and eight runs, none of them earned. 

The Lady Panthers are back on the road as they head to South Carolina this weekend.  CAU takes on Voorhees College Friday at 4 p.m. and then Allen University on Saturday and Sunday with doubleheaders each day.   CAU returns home on April 13 when they host Benedict College at 2 p.m.