GULF SHORES, Ala. - The Knights kicked their season on Friday, January 30th as they traveled to Gulf Shores, Alabama to take part in the 2026 Gulf Shores Invitational. The Knights were set to take on the Statesmen of Delta State University and the Falcons of the University of Montevallo. The Knights were ready to get the season started against quality opponents to see where they stand early on in the season.
Game One - Delta State University
The Knights start a new face in the circle as
Riley Haley got the call in game one. The Statesmen scored two runs in the first inning but the Knights came ready to play. After getting the first two batters on base,
Madison Cosgrove hit an RBI single to close the gap to 2-1. The Knights loaded the bases to set up
Kaylee Oliver for a two-run single, and they got two more runs from a
Jada Akeson RBI double and a Haley fly out as the Knights held a 5-2 lead after one inning. The Statesmen scored another run in the second inning as both teams settled in to the game. The offense went quiet until the fifth inning when the Knights scored three runs on an Akeson two-run single and an RBI single from
Nayeli Hernandez to put them up 8-3. The Knights offense kept scoring in the sixth inning as Cosgrove scored on a wild pitch, Akeson hit another RBI single, and an RBI fly out gave the Knights the 11-3 win.
Jada Akeson went 3-for-4 at the plate with four RBI with
Riley Haley pitching the complete game, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks.
Game Two - University of Montevallo
The Knights started off the second game with two walks to set up a sacrifice bunt to put both runners in scoring position. The Knights only got one runner across on a wild pitch as they grabbed a 1-0 lead after the first inning. The Falcons tied the game in the third inning but the Knights regained the lead in the fifth inning with a double steal that gave them a 2-1 lead. The Falcons tied the game in the sixth inning and the game went into extra innings where the Falcons scored a run in the eighth inning to walk the game off.
The Knights will be back on the field on Sunday, February 1st when they take on the Tigers of West Alabama and the Blazers of Valdosta State University with first pitch at 10 AM CST.