Eighteen (18) softball teams gathered twenty minutes outside of Atlanta in Covington, GA, for the Third Leonard Moody Collegiate Invitational over the weekend. Thirty games were played before the rains moved in early Sunday morning, washing out the last eight games.
Florida A&M finished the weekend with a 4-0 record to win the Whatley Cup. The Rattlers showed they could play the long and small ball to get the win. Samantha Smith left the yard three times, leading a quartet of homerun-hitting Rattlers.
Rattlers head coach Brittany Beall entered the tournament with a few question marks.
Co-Director and co-founder Chenita Rogers-Edwards knows a bit about the challenges of playing college softball. The California State University Fullerton Hall of Famer was a star on the 1986 National Championship team that finished 57-9-1. Rogers-Edwards was named to the All-World Series team and a NCAA All-American. The former Titans star and Moody know what’s at stake. Each year, the crowds continue to grow.
Fans in attendance were treated to exciting games complete with great hitting, pitching, and remarkable plays. FAMU hit seven home runs, and the pitching staff held the opposition to a .186 average at the plate.
Southern stared FAMU squarely in the eyes with an identical 4-0 record. The Jaguars batted .318 with 4 home runs, 4 doubles, and 3 triples while holding their opponents to a .215 average at the plate. The conference-mates will not play each other during the regular season and will get to see who is better if they meet up in the conference tournament.
Howard, Alcorn State, Texas Southern, and Claflin sat behind them with 3-1 records. Tiny D2 Claflin from the CIAA sandwiched a 7-4 loss to Southern between a 10-7 win over Fort Valley State and a 12-9 win over Orangeburg neighbor SC State. Lil’ sis beat big sis.
| Team |
Record |
| Florida A&M |
4-0 |
| Southern |
4-0 |
| Texas Southern |
3-1 |
| Alcorn State |
3-1 |
| Howard |
3-1 |
| Claflin |
3-1 |
| North Carolina A&T |
2-2 |
| Hampton |
2-2 |
| Alabama A&M |
2-2 |
| Albany State |
2-0 |
| Clark Atlanta |
2-0 |
| North Carolina Central |
1-3 |
| Coppin State |
1-3 |
| Virginia State |
0-3 |
| South Carolina State |
0-4 |
| Bowie State |
0-4 |
| Maryland Eastern Shore |
0-4 |