BATON ROUGE, La. — Howard University softball went 0-5 at the Purple & Gold Challenge, facing a pair of Power Five programs and Louisiana over a demanding five-game slate at Tiger Park.
Game 1 - Louisanna 4, Howard 0
Howard (6-9) opened the weekend with a 4-0 loss to Louisiana. Junior
Aiko Conaway (Haymarket, Va.) struck out none but allowed just one earned run across 3.0 innings in the start. Freshman
Jaidyn Devore (Barnwell, S.C.) and senior
Destiny Calloway (Evington, Va.) combined for the final 3.0 innings. Offensively, junior
Lauryn Jones (Denton, Texas) and reigning conference Player of the Week,
Taylor Ames-Alexander (Lancaster, S.C.) each tallied two hits, while senior
Maryn Jordan (San Diego, Calif.) doubled.
Game 2 - Lousianna 6, Howard 3
In game two, the Bison jumped out to a 3-0 first-inning lead against Louisiana. Ames-Alexander delivered an RBI single, Jordan added an RBI fielder's choice and junior
Makyia Taylor (Temecula, Calif.) lifted a sacrifice fly. Howard collected six hits, including two from
Merci Hart (Los Angeles, Calif.), but the Tigers used a four-run sixth to pull away, 6-3.
Game 3 - Michigan State 6, Howard 0
Game three saw Michigan State capitalize on a four-run second inning in a 6-0 decision. Devore (1.2 IP) took the loss, while Calloway provided 5.1 innings of relief. Junior
Wisdom Colbert (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Castille accounted for Howard's two hits.
Game 4- Michigan State 5, Howard 0
The Spartans claimed game four, 5-0, scoring all five runs in the fifth inning. Jordan and Colbert recorded hits, and freshman
Ariyah Allen (Converse, Texas) added a pinch-hit single late.
Game 5 - LSU 1, Howard 0
Howard closed the weekend in a tightly contested 1-0 loss to LSU. Conaway turned in one of her strongest outings of the young season, tossing a complete game (6.0 IP), allowing five hits and just one unearned run while striking out one. Hart recorded the Bison's lone hit as Howard stranded the tying run in the sixth.
Next, the Bison head west for the Hillenbrand Invitational, hosted by Arizona, beginning Feb. 27 in Tucson, Ariz. Howard will face Long Beach State and Minnesota on Friday before meeting Long Beach State and Arizona on Saturday and closing against Minnesota on Sunday.
For more information, visit the official Howard Athletics website at
www.hubison.com.