Box Score | Updated Bracket


NORFOLK, Va., May 11, 2023 -- Maryland Eastern Shore capitalized on eight errors by No. 1 seed Morgan State and scored nine runs, all in the top of the fourth, on its way to an 11-7 win over the 2023 regular-season champions on Thursday in the first elimination game of the day at the 2023 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Championship at NSU Softball Field. 

The sixth-seeded Hawks advanced to Friday’s 12 p.m. elimination bracket contest against the winner of the Howard vs. Norfolk State game that will be played at 3 p.m. Morgan State was eliminated from the tournament. 

The Hawks plated a run in the top of the third to take an early 1-0 lead when Ryan Merriwether scored on a double by Jaycee Holt. 

Morgan State answered by scoring two runs in the bottom of the third frame. Mia Ewell scored on the double to center-field, then Chandler Mitchell scored on a groundout by Melissa Paz.  

Maryland Eastern Shore exploded in the fourth, scoring nine runs on four hits and eight Morgan State errors as the Hawks took a 10-2 lead and never looked back. Kelsie Ekstrom, McKenzie Abiley, Ameenah Bellenger, Kiyaira Hicks, Merriwether, Ah-Nayia Oglesby and Nola Mountain all scored at least once in the top half of the fourth. 

UMES added another run in the fifth to take an 11-2 lead on a single through the left side by Oglesby that scored Hicks. 

The Bears would try to mount a comeback by scoring two runs in the fifth and then three in the sixth to make the score 11-7 heading into the bottom of the seventh. Ky’Anah Lake highlighted the scoring with a home run to center, and Mia Ewell had an RBI double in the sixth.  

 But that was all the scoring the Bears could muster, as they end tournament play 24-20.

Holt and Oglesby each had two hits for UMES, while Holt and Abiley led the way with two RBIs each. Ballenger went the distance in the circle, striking out five.