Houston, TX -- The Texas Southern University women's softball team followed its excellent regular-season with an impressive march through the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament on May 4-7, claiming its first league championship in the sport.

The title gave the Lady Tigers the right to host the champion of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in an NCAA play-in series on Friday-Saturday, May 12-13, with the winner advancing to the regular NCAA softball tournament.

But just as quickly as the celebration began for TSU, it abruptly ended as the Lady Tigers dropped the first two games of the best-of-three-game series at home against MEAC champion Bethune-Cookman on Friday, May 12, negating the need for an additional game on Saturday, May 13. The losses ended TSU's season at 24-29 while Bethune-Cookman upped its record to 39-25. The Lady Wildcats will go on to compete in the NCAA tourney later this month.

In the first game, the Lady Wildcats pitched a one-hit shutout, giving notice that TSU's home field wouldn't be an advantage for the Lady Tigers. BCC's two runs in the top of the second inning proved to be more than enough to propel the Lady Wildcats into the NCAA tournament field. One run was added in the top of the third with three coming in the top of the fourth. BCC collected six hits while committing two errors. TSU had more errors than hits, committing four errors to its single hit.

The game's lone multiple-hit performer was Bethune-Cookman catcher Kamilah Johnson, a 5-8 senior who went two-for-four. Sophomore pitcher Miranda Mayse, who happens to be a native of Texas (Kenndale), garnered the complete-game victory for the Lady Wildcats, upping her record to 19-12 on the season. In addition to Mayse's one-hit shutout, she struck on four batters and allowed no walks. Freshman Jennifer Chandler went the distance for TSU in a losing effort, allowing seven hits, two earned runs and two walks along with five strikeouts.

The Lady Tigers didn't fare much better in game two as they suffered a season-ending 7-1 loss. This time, TSU avoided the shutout and had five hits but it also committed five errors.

BCC, the designated home team in the second game, scored all the runs it would need in the bottom of the first inning, jumping out to an early 3-0 lead. TSU scored its lone run in the top of the fourth but the Lady Wildcats answered with four in the bottom of the fifth. BCC collected nine hits and played errorless ball in the seven-inning ball game.

Senior Jamie Long was the game-winner for BCC, increasing her season record to 15-5. She went five complete innings, allowing five hits and one run, which was earned, while walking two batters and striking out five. Game one winner Mayse pitched the final two innings, garnering one strikeout and allowing no runs, hits or walks.

The loser for TSU in game two was freshman Shawndra Alpough, who went the distance, allowing seven runs, five of which were earned, in addition to nine hits and two walks. She had one strikeout.

Alpough, as a batter, led TSU in the second game, going three-for-three and scoring her team's lone run on a solo home run. BCC's Johnson concluded a brilliant day by going two-for- three with two RBI and two runs scored. She and teammate Tamara McGee both homered.