Spartans Take Rubber Match from UMES, 7-4
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – Whitney Williams went 4-for-4, scored four runs and hit a pair of homers to lead the Norfolk State softball team to a 7-4 win over UMES on Sunday afternoon in the rubber match of a three-game conference series at Lady Hawks Field.
Junior Robyn Mitchell also drove in a pair of runs as NSU improved its first-place record in the MEAC Northern Division to 7-1 as well as its overall record to 13-16.
A four-run fourth inning was the big blow against UMES (7-30, 4-4 MEAC), helping NSU build a 5-0 lead.
Williams hit a solo home run in the second inning to start the scoring, and she led off the fourth with a single into left field. Senior Nikki Jones walked, and a double by junior Alina Moriarty scored Williams, with Jones also crossing the plate on an error by the left fielder.
After a single by senior Morgan Boyd, Mitchell hit a two-run double for a five-run lead.
The Hawks scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth, but junior Sommer Di Fulgo hit an RBI single in the fifth for a 6-2 advantage. Alexis Hudson then hit a triple in the bottom of the frame and scored on a wild pitch to cut into the Spartan lead.
Williams hit her second homer of the day in the seventh, but Trenece Nash smacked an RBI single in the seventh to make it 7-4. With the tying run at the plate, Kaitlyn Hitch was thrown out at third on a wild pitch to end the game.
Senior Stephanie Wheatley (3-4) picked up the win in relief for NSU, allowing two earned runs on five hits in 3.1 innings of work.
Boyd finished the day 3-for-4.
NSU will play Howard Friday at 6 p.m. at home to close out that three-game series from a previous week, and then host Morgan State next weekend.
For complete story, visit www.nsuspartans.com or www.umeshawks.com
Coppin State completes sweep of Howard
BALTIMORE – The Coppin State softball team concluded a busy week by defeating Howard, 4-1, in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) contest Sunday afternoon. The win completed a three-game sweep for the Eagles, who won all five conference games this week to leap back into the thick of the race for one of the coveted tournament spots in Ormond Beach (Fla.) next month.
In a crisply played contest that took 1 hour, 16 minutes, the Eagles overcame an early deficit by getting some timely hits, clutch pitching and playing strong defense despite the two errors they committed. Coppin State improved its overall record to 8-13 and MEAC record to 5-3 with three more weekend series remaining against Delaware State, Hampton and Morgan State. The Eagles still have to make up one more game against Maryland-Eastern Shore at a later date.
Coppin State sophomore pitcher Alyssa Barker won for the fifth time this week. She compiled a 1.40 earned run average, tossed two shutouts and struck out 11 batters in 30 innings during a week to remember. On Sunday against the Bison, Barker battled without her top-notch stuff. She was helped by the Eagles defense, specifically sophomore third baseman Kim Brown, who was a vacuum.
Brown made all the tough plays, including a clutch grab that turned into a double play in the seventh inning that short-circuited a potential Howard rally. With its leadoff runner on base in the seventh inning, Howard’s Jasmine Gammons stung a ball with such force that a vapor trail accompanied it. However, the ball probably traveled about 100 miles per hour before it landed into Brown’s glove. After catching the ball and realizing her hand was still attached to her arm from the force of the ball, Brown alertly fired to first base to begin a double play. Two pitches later, centerfielder Alanna Williams made a nice diving catch to end the game.
Barker needed all of her friends’ help because Howard pitcher Alex Flynn was pretty stingy on the mound and kept the Eagles offense in check after the first inning, which was the difference in the game.
Both teams finished with five hits. One of Howard’s hits was a leadoff homerun to leftfield on the second pitch of the game from Anasia Stinson that gave the Bison a quick 1-0 lead before fans could get comfortable. Coppin State immediately answered in its frame as Heather Josker provided the big hit of the inning, a two-run single down the rightfield line that gave her a team a 3-1 advantage.
Josker enjoyed a good weekend as she hit .556 (5-for-9). Danielle Smith also was all over the bases against Howard as she compiled a .714 batting average (5-for-7). She also drew a pair of walks, stole three bases and scored five runs to lead Coppin State.
The Eagles added to their advantage thanks to Samantha Denlinger’s one-out single that started a rally in the sixth inning. Josker followed with a rocket to the leftfielder, who dropped the ball for a two-base error. Lauren Rogers, running for Denlinger, scored on Williams’ groundout.
Coppin State will step out of conference and travel to meet Division III McDaniel College in a Wednesday doubleheader beginning at 3:00 p.m.
For complete story, visit www.coppinstatesports.com or www.hubison.com
Florida A&M knocks off Lady Aggies to win series
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A two-run fourth inning and a sterling pitching performance from freshman Amber Fullwood helped the FAMU Women’s Softball team to a 2-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference win over North Carolina A&T Sunday, averting a three-game series sweep.
FAMU (14-21, 3-3 in MEAC) trailed after the top of the third when Dominique Smith’s RBI single scored Zebresha Blakeney to stake the Lady Aggies (13-16, 5-1 in MEAC) to a 1-0 lead.
The Lady Rattlers took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth when Brittany Speer scored on a throwing error before Alyssa Weaver’s RBI single scored sister Amanda for a 2-1 score.
Freshman pitcher Amber Fullwood (5-7) was sharp in the circle for FAMU, turning in a complete game performance, scattering six hits and allowing one run, with one strikeout and no walks in seven full innings of work Sunday.
Shelby Snyder (2-7), who was the Game Two winner on Saturday, allowed two runs on five hits, striking out four, while walking two in six innings of work.
Synder’s twin sister, Haley, led A&T with two hits, while a quintet of FAMU players had one hit each, with Alyssa Weaver and Raven Moseley each driving in a run.
Wednesday, the Lady Rattlers begin a long road tour with a single game at Jacksonville (5:00), followed by two games in Gainesville against Florida (Friday – 6:05 p.m.) and North Carolina State (Saturday – 10:30 a.m.).
They return to MEAC play on Saturday and Sunday, April 18-19 in a three-game series at North Carolina Central, then close out the tour on Tuesday, April 22 at Troy University (6:00).
For complete story, visit www.famuathletics.com or www.ncataggies.com
North Carolina Central earns first MEAC win over Savannah State
DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University softball team capitalized on Savannah State Tiger mishaps during game three of the weekend series as the Lady Eagles (5-26, 1-5 MEAC) earned their first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) victory and snapped their six-game lose streak with a 6-3 victory on Sunday, April 6 at Parkwood Athletic Field in Durham.
SSU loaded the bases out of the gates but was unable to convert its base runners into runs as the Tigers left three stranded.
With two outs and the bases loaded during the bottom of the first redshirt freshman Jenny Tracy knocked in two runs as her single to left field scored senior London Germ and Angelique Perricelli. Sophomore De’Onna Smith added a third run to the board after she scored from third on a passed ball.
After a three up, three down top of the second for NCCU, the Lady Eagles added to their lead when junior Emerie Germ’s 2-RBI single to left field pushed London Germ and Perricelli across home plate again in the bottom of the inning.
Innings 3-5 remained scoreless between both teams before SSU scored its first run of the afternoon when Amber Hallaman’s RBI single to right center added an unearned to the board for the Lady Tigers.
Smith led off the bottom of the sixth, answering SSU’s run, collecting her fifth homer of the season with a solo shot over the center field fence as the Lady Eagles earn their first run of the contest and led the Tigers 6-1 heading into the final inning.
During the top of the seventh the Lady Tigers struck one last time as a two-out rally added two additional runs to the board for SSU before they fell to NCCU 6-3.
Sophomore London Booker earned the victory for the Lady Eagles pitching the complete seven innings. Booker (3-15) faced 33 batters, gave up seven hits and one earned run during the win as she sat two Lady Tigers and walked none.
NCCU returns to action on Wednesday, April 9 during a midweek doubleheader road-battle at College of Charleston with the first pitch set for 3 p.m. in Charleston, S.C.
For complete story, visit www.nccueaglepride.com or www.ssuathletics.com
Delaware State sweeps past Morgan State
BALTIMORE, Md. – Continuing its seven-game road swing, the Delaware State softball team (19-10, 5-1 MEAC) routed the Morgan State Bears (3-14, 0-5 MEAC) in Sunday afternoon’s doubleheader with a 12-2 victory in game one, followed by a five-inning 8-0 win to complete the sweep.
To open the day, the Hornets trailed by one after the first until infielder Danielle Velez (1) tied it with a leadoff home run. Next inning, Velez gave her squad the lead with an infield RBI-single to bring in outfielder Jessica Madrid.
As the game progressed, Delaware State made it a 4-1 ball game in the fourth with a Madrid RBI-double and a Sandy Hawthorne RBI-single in back-to-back at-bats.
The Bears, meanwhile, managed to cut the deficit in half during the fifth, but the Hornets exploded in the sixth to score eight runs on four hits and one MSU error, headlined by outfielder Nicole Gazzola driving in the two runs with a double to left field.
At game’s end, DSU finished with 14 hits, including eight players totaling at least one and five registering two or more. Additionally, the Hornets matched a season-high in RBI (11). Leading the way was Gazzola going 3-for-4 with a walk, two RBI and two runs, whereas Madrid went 2-for-3 with three runs, two walks and an RBI. Hawthorne, on the other hand, turned in a 2-for-2 performance at the plate with three RBI, a walk and a run scored.
Pitching wise, freshman Vanessa Ciocatto (7-4) picked up the win allowing five hits, no walks and tallying three K’s.
In game two, after taking a 2-0 lead in the third, the Hornets scored five runs on four hits and one MSU error, highlighted by infielder Rochelle Sablay’s two-run RBI-single.
To complete the shutout victory in the fifth, starter Rachel Meagley (4-3) and the rest of the Hornet defense shunned Morgan State in order. For the game, Meagley allowed four hits, two walks and fanned five MSU batters.
Offensively, Delaware State churned out 10 hits with Gazzola going a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs and a walk. Hawthorne, meanwhile, went 2-for-2 with two RBI, a walk and a run scored.
Coming up, the Columbia Blue & Red will face Virginia this Wednesday in a doubleheader (3 p.m. – 5 p.m.) to wrap up its seven-game road swing.
For complete story, visit www.dsuhornets.com or www.morganstatebears.com