WASHINGTON (February 15, 2024) – After two impressive wins at the Black and Gold Classic, the Howard University softball team travels to Covington, Georgia for the inaugural HBCU Invitational. The HBCU Invitational features teams from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
 
The Lady Bison open the tournament against Prairie View A&M (PVAM) Friday (Feb.16) at 2 p.m. Following PVAM, the Lady Bison will face Alabama A&M later that day at 4 p.m. They have another two games Saturday (Feb. 17), facing Grambling State at 10 a.m. and Alabama State at 2 p.m. Their last game of the tournament against Alcorn State is scheduled for Sunday (Feb.18) at 10 a.m.

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WEEKEND PREVIEW
 
HOWARD
 
Last week, the Lady Bison finished with a record of 2-3 in the Black and Gold Classic in Orlando, Florida. They won their opening game, 8-7, against the UConn Huskies. This was one of the biggest wins in program history, defeating the back-to-back Big East Champions.
 
Outfielder Bianca Worthy (Goodyear, Ariz.) was named the MEAC Player of the Week for her performance over the weekend. In the five games of the tournament, Worthy tallied a .471 batting average with six RBIs and scored five runs herself. She recorded eight hits in 17 at-bats and drove in three runs to go along with two runs scored in the season-opening victory over the Huskies.
 
Junior pitcher Mia Gonzales (Atwater, Calif.) was named the MEAC Pitcher of the Week, as she pitched a total of 12.0 innings and struck out four batters in four games. She threw 4.2 innings while allowing three hits and three earned runs in the win over UConn. Overall, Gonzalez recorded a 2.33 ERA after giving up four earned runs on eight hits in 43 batters faced.
 
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M
 
The Panthers finished 0-5 in the Cardinal Invite Incarnate Word Tournament in San Antonio, Texas. They lost 3-0 to Lindenwood and Buffalo to start the tournament, followed by 8-7 loss to Buffalo, a 4-1 loss to Lindenwood, and 4-3 loss to Incarnate Word.
 
Senior outfielder Audrey Garcia (Katy, Texas) finished with a .333 batting average and two runs scored. She played in four of the five games, recording three hits in nine at-bats. Her best performance came in the last matchup against Incarnate Word, where she recorded two hits in three at-bats, including a double while also scoring a run.
 
ALABAMA A&M
 
The Bulldogs finished with a 1-1 record in the River City Classic at Jackson State's Softball Field. They won their season opener against Arlington Baptist, 8-0, followed by an 8-2 loss to Texas A&M - Corpus Christi. Their last two games against Alcorn State and Grambling State were canceled due to rain.
 
GRAMBLING STATE
 
Grambling State also finished 1-1 in the River City Classic. The Tigers lost 2-0 to Jackson State and defeated Xavier University of Louisiana by a score of 9-1. Their last two games against Alabama A&M and Texas A&M Corpus-Christi were canceled due to rain.
 
ALABAMA STATE
 
The Hornets finished with a record of 1-2 in the Stinger Classic at their home field in Montgomery, Alabama. Alabama State lost their opener to Hampton, 4-0, followed by a 4-3 loss to Houston Christian. They defeated Purdue Fort Wayne in the third game of the season, 5-2, before their last game of the tournament against Western Carolina was canceled due to rain.
 
ALCORN STATE
 
Alcorn State finished 2-1 in the River City Classic. The Braves lost their season opener to Texas A&M - Corpus Christi by a score of 4-2. They won their last two games of the tournament against Arlington Baptist University and Xavier University of Louisiana by scores of 7-1 and 15-3, respectively.
 
LAST TIMEOUT
 
In the Black and Gold Classic, Howard won their opening game, 8-7, against the University of Connecticut. The Lady Bison lost their next two games against the University of Central Florida and Georgia State by scores of 10-2 and 5-4, respectively. They defeated Seattle University, 10-0, before losing the last game of the tournament to Georgia State by a score of 4-1.
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
 
Wednesday (Feb. 21), HU hosts Bowie State in its home opener at the Washington Nationals Youth Academy in SE D.C. The doubleheader starts at noon.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.