ORMOND BEACH, Fla. - Senior pitcher Courtney Mirabella hurled her second shutout of the day in leading North Carolina Central University to a narrow 1-0 win over Savannah State University in an elimination game of the 2018 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Championship Tournament Thursday evening.
 
The Lady Eagles, who are seeded fourth from the Southern Division, improved to 19-25 overall. The 19 wins are a new NCAA Division I school record.
 
NCCU will next play No. 2 North seeded Hampton University in another elimination game on Friday at 3 p.m. If they win that game, they will play another game 30 minutes after that contest for a chance to play in the Championship game(s) on Saturday.
 
Mirabella held Savannah State to just three hits in completing her 10th shutout of the season. She fanned six Lady Tigers to pick up her league-leading 17th win. Mirabella (17-15), who was a First Team All-MEAC selection, leads the MEAC in every major pitching statistical category.
 
Sophomore Dalika Wallace, who homered in NCCU's 5-0 win over Delaware State University earlier in the day, provided a leadoff single up the middle in the second. That led to the lone run of the contest as junior pinch runner Zakiya Smith scored on an infield throwing error.
 
Wallace had two of NCCU's four hits. Freshmen Jacobia Johnson and Jessica Powell had the other base knocks for the maroon and gray.
 
The Lady Tigers, who ended their season at 14-23 overall, looked to have tied the game with a sacrifice fly in the top of the third. However, senior Shelby Eccles was called out on an appeal play to third for leaving the base early on the tag-up play.
 
Mirabella still had runners on second and third base when she ended SSU's major threat in the third with a popup. The Bradenton, Florida, product then retired the final 12 Lady Tigers she faced over the final four innings to preserve the triumph.
 
Eccles, senior Drea Lesure and junior Cortney Jones accounted for Savannah State's three hits. Eccles and Jones both swiped two bases.
 
With the win, NCCU is one of four teams remaining in the MEAC tourney. It already marks the best postseason run for the Lady Eagles since joining the conference in 2011-12.