BALTIMORE, Md. – With all three runs scored in the first inning, the Delaware State softball team (24-15, 9-3 MEAC) came up short Monday afternoon on the road to the Morgan State Bears (5-19, 2-10 MEAC), 2-1.  For the Bears, they avoided the season sweep after the Hornets pulled out 12-2 and 8-0 victories on April 6.

In the opening inning, DSU’s Jessica Madrid gave her squad an early advantage with an RBI-single to bring in Chloe Oro, who led off the game with a single of her own.  However, MSU bounced back with a Claudette Smith two-run homer to left center off Tara Tursellino (10-5) to give her team a one-run lead.

For the rest of the game, the Hornets’ best scoring opportunity occurred in the fifth with the bases loaded after infielder Rochelle Sablay reached on a fielding error by shortstop Alyssa Blanco.  Unfortunately, Morgan State’s Jordan Eades (2-8) forced ensuing batter Jordan Stamps to fly out to center field to shun the Hornets.

To close out the contest, Eades retired DSU in order, capped off by fanning catcher Sandy Hawthorne for her third strikeout of the afternoon.

At game’s end, DSU tallied eight hits, but stranded nine runners on base to pick up their third loss in MEAC play this season.

After giving up the homer to Smith, Tursellino settled down nicely to allow four hits, no walks and total three strikeouts in the losing effort.

Coming up, the Columbia Blue & Red will play their final home games of the 2014 season when the Drexel Dragons visit Thursday for a doubleheader (1 p.m. – 3 p.m.).  The two squads met twice earlier in the season during the Pirate Snow Classic as DSU won both games, 4-3 and 6-2.

For complete story, visit www.morganstatebears.com or www.dsuhornets.com