ORMOND BEACH, Fla. — North Carolina Central University played its third and fourth elimination games of the 2018 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Championship Tournament on Friday, advancing past Hampton University (2-1) before falling to defending champion Florida A&M University (6-1).
 
Senior pitcher Courtney Mirabella continued her impressive play in the four-day event, picking up the win against the Pirates. Mirabella, who surpassed the 300-strikeout plateau in that triumph, also had an RBI-double in each contest. Her 306 strikeouts in a season is a new NCCU program record while her 18 wins and 1.66 ERA are new NCCU Division I era records (since 2007-08).
 
NCCU finished its season at 20-26 overall, which is its first 20-win season at the DI level. The Lady Eagles posted their first winning league record since joining the MEAC in 2011-12 and had their best run in the MEAC tourney by going 3-2 over three days.
 
GAME ONE: NC Central 2, Hampton 1
 
The Lady Eagles scored twice in the first and Mirabella made it hold up for their third consecutive win and ninth victory in their last 10 games. Mirabella fanned eight Pirates, including the last two batters of the game for strikeouts No. 300 and 301.
 
NCCU's two-out rally in the first started because of a fielding error by Hampton that put sophomore Ava Dolan on second. She scored on an ensuing single by sophomore Dalika Wallace. Junior Zakiya Smith pinch ran for Wallace and she scored on a deep double by Mirabella.
 
Mirabella had two of NCCU's seven hits.
 
The Pirates were able to break-up Mirabella's attempt at a third straight shutout with an unearned run in the third. Junior Daniella Milloy led off with a single and pinch runner Brianna Anderson later scored on an infield throwing error.
 
All three runs in the contest were unearned as junior starting pitcher Allyson Babinsack was edged by Mirabella in the pitcher's duel between two All-MEAC honored aces.
 
Hampton ended its season at 24-28.
 
GAME TWO: Florida A&M 6, NC Central 1
 
The Rattlers broke a 1-1 tie with two runs in the fifth and then tacked on three extra runs in the seventh to pull away late. FAMU outhit the Lady Eagles, 13-3, behind the strength of a complete-game performance by sophomore pitcher Kyaira Brown.
 
Brown (16-11) only allowed one unearned run in ending NCCU's improbable run.
 
FAMU took the initial 1-nil edge in the top of the fourth, but an error quickly allowed the Lady Eagles to level the scoreboard in the home half of the frame. Mirabella knocked in NCCU's lone run with her second run-producing double of the hot afternoon.
 
The Rattlers slithered ahead in their next time at the plate behind three bloopers, a stolen base and a walk. They were able to break free in the seventh with a walk and four more singles.
 
Brown helped her own cause, going 3-for-4 with two RBI, to pace FAMU's offense.
 
Dolan and junior Claire Eosso had the other two Lady Eagle hits. Mirabella took the loss pitching her fifth game in three days, but did rack up five more K's.
 
FAMU (23-28) advances to the championship game(s) against Bethune-Cookman University. The Rattlers will need to beat the Wildcats twice in order to repeat as MEAC Tournament champions.