TUCSON, Ariz. — Howard competed in five games at the Hillenbrand Invitational, hosted by No. 15/16 Arizona, facing nationally competitive opponents throughout the weekend. The Bison secured one victory — a hard-fought extra-inning win over Minnesota — as they continue preparing for conference play beginning March 14.

Long Beach State 11, Howard 2

Howard dropped its tournament opener as Long Beach State used a pair of explosive middle innings to pull away.

Howard struck first, plating two runs in the opening frame. Wisdom Colbert (Jacksonville, FL) delivered an RBI single before Makiya Graves (Mebane, NC) followed with a run-scoring knock to give the Bison an early 2-0 lead.

The Beach plated one run in the second before breaking the game open with a four-run third and a five-run fourth to build a commanding advantage. An additional run in the fifth sealed the result.

Julia Holt (Tucson, AZ) tossed 1.2 innings in relief, while Hope Uzzle (Staten Island, NY) added 2.1 innings of work in the circle.
 

Howard 4, Minnesota 1 (8 innings)

Howard battled but couldn't overcome an early deficit in its first meeting with Minnesota.

The Golden Gophers struck first, plating two runs in the opening inning before adding single runs later in the game to build a 4–0 advantage.

Howard broke through offensively in the later innings to avoid the shutout. The Bison manufactured a run with timely hitting and pressure on the bases, but Minnesota's pitching staff limited further damage to secure the 4–1 decision.

Despite the result, Howard continued to show defensive discipline and competitive at-bats against another Big Ten opponent.

Long Beach State 7, Howard 6 (8 innings)

Howard showed resilience in an extra-inning battle before falling on a walk-off sacrifice fly.

The Bison erupted for five runs in the first inning. Maryn Jordan (San Diego, CA) delivered an RBI single, Angel Riggins (San Diego, CA) drove in a run after being hit by a pitch, Makyia Taylor (Temecula, CA) added an RBI single, and Aniyah Whipper (Elk Grove, CA) and Tori Trotter (Lacey, WA) each brought home runs during the frame.

Long Beach State answered with a four-run third inning highlighted by a two-run home run, then took a 6–5 lead in the fourth.

Howard tied the game in the seventh when Riggins singled to shallow right field, scoring Na'khia Lee (La Mesa, CA) to force extra innings.

In the bottom of the eighth, Long Beach State executed a sacrifice bunt to move the placed runner before ending the game on a walk-off sacrifice fly, handing Howard a 7–6 loss.

Taylor finished 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Taylor Ames-Alexander (Lancaster, SC) added three hits in the contest.

Arizona 9, Howard 0

Facing the nationally ranked host Wildcats, Howard was limited offensively but collected four hits against a top-25 opponent.

Jordan recorded a single and a walk, Taylor singled, Amirah Lenon (Chandler, AZ) added a hit, and Lee contributed a pinch-hit single in the fifth inning.

Arizona struck early with a two-run homer in the first before breaking the game open with seven runs in the fourth inning, including three home runs.

Despite the final score, the Bison continued to compete at the plate against one of the nation's top programs.

Howard 5, Minnesota 4

Howard secured its lone victory of the weekend in a tightly contested matchup against Minnesota.

The Bison broke through in the third inning. Whipper opened the rally with a single, and Jordan followed with an RBI base hit. Riggins then doubled to right center to score Jordan, and Cheyenne Castille (Eastvale, CA) delivered a two-run double to push the lead to 4–0.

Minnesota chipped away, scoring in the third and fourth innings before pulling within 5–4 in the sixth on a two-run home run.

Howard added an insurance run in the fifth when Jordan singled and later scored on Riggins' RBI single.

In the circle, Aiko Conaway (Haymarket, VA) earned the win in relief, while Julia Holt (Tucson, AZ) closed the door in the seventh to record her second save of the season.

Jordan finished with two hits and two runs scored, while Riggins went 2-for-3 with two RBI.

Howard travels to Huntington, West Virginia, for the Marshall March Madness tournament (March 7-8), the final non-conference tournament of the season before the Bison open conference play on March 14.

The Bison will face Akron, followed by host Marshall on March 7, before returning Sunday for matchups against Canisius and Marshall.

For more information on Howard softball, visit the official Howard Athletics website www.hubison.com.