Courtney Young, Sondra Jones and Jessica Norwood each drove in three runs in the first game and Kristin Cordova and Norwood combined for four runs in the second game of the twinbill as Howard defeated Coppin State, 13-0 and 10-2, in a doubleheader at Banneker Stadium.
The Bison (12-12 overall, 5-3 in the MEAC) scored three runs in the second, four in the third and six runs in the bottom of the fifth to put the game away. Young, the reigning MEAC Rookie on the season, went 2-for-3 and while Norwood (2 for 3) and Jones (2 for 40) led the assault as Howard pounded out 13 hits.
Sophomore Christina McCoy (4-3) picked up the win allowing no hits while striking out 8 in three innings. Emily Johnson finished up with no hits and four strikeouts.
In the second game, the Lady Bison got things started early, getting two runs in the first two innings and closed it out with a four-run fifth inning that ended the contest on the eight-run rule.
Kordova, who splits time between catching and third base, went 3 for 3 while Jones, Young and Dale McNeal each went 2 for 3 at the plate. Freshman Jessica Hurston went four-plus innings and allowed four runs and struck out 5 in running her record to 2-1 on the season.
“Our chemistry is good at this point of the season,” said Howard Coach Tonja Braxton. “We have improved in certain areas. We have more depth in the pitching area because we want to make sure that they are fresh when we get into the MEAC tournament.”
She continued, “We are also more versatile than we were last year. We have some people who have converted to other positions and we have people who can play two and three different positions. We are still evolving, but I like where we are.”
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