SC State Wins Opening Conference Series, 2-1, Over North Carolina A&T
Orangeburg, S.C. (March 29-30)— SC State its 2013 MEAC series opener with North Carolina A&T, 2-1. On Friday (March 29) the Lady Bulldogs won the opening game, 6-4 and dropped the middle contest, 9-0. SC State won the rubber contest, 5-0, on Saturday (March 30) to capture the series.
In Game One of Friday’s double-header, SC State (13-13, 2-1 MEAC) controlled the contest for the first six innings. The Lady Bulldogs put up four-of-its six runs in the first two innings of the ball game. After freshman Jasmine Greer reached base via a walk in inning one, sophomore Mikala Johnson hit a double down the leftfield line to bring in Greer for the team’s first run of the contest. SC State’s leadoff batter in the second inning (Jazmin Robinson) reached base via error and subsequently scored the Lady Bulldogs third run off a double by senior Taylor-Anne Harris. SC State put up two additional runs in the bottom of the second to move ahead 4-0. Neither team would score over the next two innings then the Lady Bulldogs got runs from senior Kandyce Ranew and freshman Jazmin Robinson in the bottom of the fifth inning, to take the 6-0 lead. NC A&T (3-21, 1-2 MEAC) bats came to life in the final two innings. The Lady Aggies scored one run off one hit and one SC State error in the top of the fifth for its first run of the contest. NC A&T continued to rally late as they put up three runs off two hits and two Lady Bulldog errors in the top of the seventh to close the gap to 4-6 but could not get any closer, falling in Game One by the two run margin.
Game Two of the double-header belonged solely to NC A&T. After neither team managed to score over the first two innings, the Lady Aggies put up six runs off four hits and one SC State error to take the commanding 6-0 lead. The Lady Aggies scored one additional run in the fourth and two in the fifth while holding the Lady Bulldogs scoreless en route to the 9-0 Game Two victory in five innings.
The Lady Bulldogs rebounded in Game Three of the series, defeating NC A&T, 5-0, on Saturday. SC State wasted no time setting the tone for the game as they put up two runs in the first and three runs in the second while holding NC A&T scoreless. The Lady Aggies played solid defense throughout the remainder of the game but could not get their offense going. NC A&T managed just two hits for the game.
Junior Pitcher Vianney Gomez continued to play solid for SC State over the weekend, as she picked up the victories in both games for Lady Bulldogs. Freshman Jazmin Robinson was the losing pitcher in Game Two of the series.
NC A&T used three pitchers over the weekend with Shelby Snyder winning Game Two. Ashira Dobison and Janika May were the loser’s in Game One and Three, respectively.
For the complete story, visit www.scsuathletics.com or www.ncataggies.com
NSU Finishes Sweep of Howard with 10-2 Win
NORFOLK, Va. –Norfolk State continued to hit the ball all over the field and finished the series sweep of Howard with a 10-2 victory on Saturday afternoon at the NSU Softball Field.
NSU had 13 more hits on the day after tallying 22 in Friday’s doubleheader, won by the Spartans via scores of 10-0, 14-0. A big eight-run third inning was the difference on Saturday, and the victory improved NSU’s record to 6-0 in the MEAC and 13-15 overall.
Sophomores Haley Ward and Alina Moriarty led NSU, as each finished 3-for-3 on the day. Moriarty drove in four runs and scored a pair, while Ward scored twice and also drove in a run.
Only a two-run home run by Howard catcher Jasmine Gammons in the fifth prevented NSU from shutting out the Bison (3-19, 1-5) for the entire three-game series. Nevertheless, junior Jamie Schulle (9-8) pitched all five innings for the Spartans, giving up those two earned runs on three hits with three strikeouts.
The Spartans scored two runs in the first inning to take an early lead against the Bison. Ward lofted a double toward the left field corner, and Moriarty followed with a single to center to score the first run of the game. Sophomore Robyn Mitchell hit an RBI single into left center to plate Moriarty.
Then in the third, NSU broke the game open. Junior Morgan Boyd reached on a bunt single and Ward singled to put two runners on. Moriarty lined a double into the right-center field gap to bring home both, but Howard looked to be in good shape after turning a double play.
Two errors on the Bison later in the inning helped keep NSU going, though. Moriarty scored when Howard shortstop Jenny Ly misplayed a hit off the bat of junior Kathy Cortez. With runners on first and second, freshman Whitney Williams hacked at a pitch up in the strike zone and lined it into left field. Both Cortez and junior Melina Valles scored when the ball scooted past left fielder Ashley Canty.
Pinch hitter Marjorie Pettitt brought home Williams with a hit over the third baseman’s head, and then Ward and Moriarty followed with RBI singles to score the final two runs.
For the complete story, visit www.nsuspartans.com or www.howard-bison.com
Bethune-Cookman Sweeps North Carolina Central 11-4, 9-1
DURHAM, N.C. – Bethune-Cookman swept a MEAC doubleheader from North Carolina Central Saturday, downing the Eagles 11-4 and 9-1.
The Wildcats (8-27 overall, 2-0 MEAC) set the tone for the day in their first at-bat, with the first five batters each registering a hit and eventually scoring. B-CU led 5-0 after the first and 9-0 after two en route to their season-high for runs and hits.
Kelsey Rodney drove in a season-high four runs, with two coming on a sixth-inning home run. Michelle Banuelos-Smith and Joanna Hernandez each had two RBI, while Simone Ceasar went 3-5 and Aurelia Gamch scored three runs.
North Carolina Central (2-24,0-2) took a 1-0 lead after the first inning of game two, but the Wildcats quickly regained control with a five-run second sparked by Shamaria Engram’s two-run double.
Ceasar had two hits and two RBI in the second game, while Gamch scored twice and had two hits. Shanel Tolbert struck out four and scattered six hits for the run-rule victory.
For the complete story, visit www.bcuathletics.com or www.nccueaglepride.com
Hampton Splits Doubleheader With Delaware State
HAMPTON, Va. –Hampton split a doubleheader against Delaware State on Saturday at the Lady Pirates Softball Stadium, falling 3-2 in the first game before winning the second game 7-0.
The Lady Pirates (18-19, 5-1 MEAC) have won six of their last seven games.
Delaware State struck first in the top of the second inning in the first game, taking a 1-0 lead after Jessica Madrid walked with the bases loaded. Sandy Hawthorne added a two-run single in the third inning to give the Lady Hornets a 3-0 lead.
Senior Carla Trimble got the Lady Pirates on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning, doubling down the left field line to bring in senior Shine Huwe to cut Delaware State’s lead to 3-1.
Sophomore Bianca Vallejo cut the lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI triple, but the Lady Pirates’ rally fell short.
Trimble went 2-for-3 at the plate.
Freshman Bobbi Langlois came in 4.1 innings of relief work in the first game, striking out a career-high nine batters and giving up just four hits.
The second game was scoreless until the bottom of the third inning, when the Lady Pirates pushed across three runs. Freshman Taylor McCoy, the reigning MEAC Rookie of the Week, doubled home a pair of runs, before Langlois brought in another run with a sacrifice fly to put Hampton up 3-0.
Junior Margaret Wilkins singled home a run in the bottom of the fourth; before McCoy doubled two more runs in to give the Lady Pirates a 6-0 lead after four innings.
Langlois reached on a throwing error in the sixth, scoring McCoy to put Hampton up 7-0.
McCoy was 3-for-3 at the plate in the second game, driving in a team-high four runs. Wilkins was 3-for-4 at the plate with an RBI.
Langlois gave up just three hits in six innings of work.
For the complete story, visit www.hamptonpirates.com or www.dsuhornets.com
Florida A&M Sweeps Series Over Savannah State
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (March 30) - Florida A&M (10-27, 2-1 MEAC) got their first MEAC series victory of the season, shutting out the Savannah State Tigers (17-14, 1-2 MEAC) 6-0 in game one and winning 14-6 in game two at the James Messer Sports Complex this afternoon.
The Rattlers struck early in game one today, scoring two runs off three hits in the first inning. The difference was that they did not let up in this game as they did in game one of the series where they lost 4-2.
And that they did as the team had 10 hits in total in game one. First baseman Genesis Lopez went 2-for-3 in the first contest with two RBIs.
Savannah State had five hits but six batters were left stranded. FAMU pitcher Ashleigh Minter (4-10) pitched over six innings allowing no runs and only five hits in the win.
The Rattlers were able to get another win in game two with a 14-6 victory.
The struggling pitching of Savannah State allowed the Rattlers to bring in six runs off two hits in the bottom of first inning in game two. The Tigers’ pitchers threw four wild pitches, four walks and two Rattler batters were hit by pitches in the first inning alone.
But, the Lady Rattlers’ bats were making solid contact in the second inning scoring five hits off four hits to give them an 11-1 lead. The Rattlers ended the contest with a 14-6 win with the mercy rule coming into play.
Jennifer Lindsey (5-16) got the win allowing three hits, one unearned run and striking out two batters.
Brielle Gordon was the most valuable Rattler at the plate going 6 for 7 for the day scoring four runs.
For the complete story, visit www.famuathletics.com or www.ssuathletics.com
Richardson Sparks Coppin State Past Maryland Eastern Shore
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. -- Melli Richardson hit a two-run triple in the eighth inning and also picked up the victory on the mound leading Coppin State to a 5-2 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday at Hawk Field and a sweep of the MEAC series.
Richardson had to work out of a difficult jam in the bottom of the seventh inning and then hit a clutch two-run triple in the top of the eighth inning.
Coppin State (8-15, 3-3 MEAC) led 2-0 entering the seventh inning before the Hawks rallied to tie the score.
Chelsea Alston opened the inning with a bunt single and scored when Vanessa Gomez followed with an RBI triple. Carmen Gurrola then singled in Gomez to knot the score at 2-2.
Gurrola stole second and advanced to third when Belen Benitez reached on a Coppin State fielding error. With runners on first and third with nobody out, Richardson then got a pop out, a fly out and a ground out to escape the inning to force extra innings.
In the Eagles eighth inning, Nicole Boggs singled to lead off the frame. Pinch-runner Brandi Davis advanced to second when Gabriel Ziller reached on an error.
Richardson then ripped a go-ahead two-run triple that scored Davis and Ziller and put the Eagles ahead 4-2.
Cheyenne Gerber followed with a single that scored Richardson upping the CSU lead to 5-2.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Richardson faced the tying run at the play but induced a fly out to end the game.
Kimberlynn Brown and Boggs each had two hits to lead the CSU offense, while Heather Josker, Danielle Smith, Ziller, Lauren Rogers, Gerber, Richardson, Alyssa Barker and Michele Saunders each had base hits for the Eagles.
Alson went 3-for-4 with a run scored to lead UMES (10-19, 2-4 MEAC).
For the complete story, visit www.coppinstatesports.com or www.umeshawks.com