Game 1 | Game 2 | Championship Central 


NORFOLK, Va., May 13, 2023 – North Carolina Central claimed the program’s first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) softball championship with a 6-2 win over Coppin State in game two of the championship on Saturday at the NSU Softball Field. 

With the win, the third-seeded Eagles earned the MEAC’s automatic bid into the 2023 NCAA Softball Tournament; they will find out where they play when the 64-team field is revealed on Sunday at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.

Takia Nichols' home run to left center in the top of the second inning, and a sacrifice fly by Ivory Jones that scored Jaylah Barr, helped N.C. Central (19-33) get out to an early 2-0 lead. The Eagles added two more runs in the top of the fourth on a Coppin State error, then one more in the sixth on an RBI groundout from Barr.

In the seventh, Nichols got on base with a double, took third on a fielder’s choice, and later scored on strikeout to give N.C. Central its final run of the afternoon.

Coppin State scored a run in the third on a Celeste Gonzales double, then added another run in the seventh on a fielding error.

Coppin State (16-28) forced game two after holding on for a 6-5 win in game one of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship final. In the first game, the Eagles of Coppin State had a season-high 11 hits to go along with six stolen bases.

Coppin State held a 6-2 lead heading into the bottom of the home half of the sixth, when N.C. Central scored three runs to make the game interesting until the final out of the game.

Nichols and Maegan Garrison each had two hits in the second game for NCCU, and Ashanti Eubanks struck out four in the circle, going the distance.

Jaden Davis was named Outstanding Performer, while Eagles head coach Cat Tarvin was named Outstanding Coach.


Outstanding Performer: Jaden Davis, North Carolina Central
Outstanding Coach: Cat Trevin, North Carolina Central   
 
2023 MEAC All-Tournament Team
Vanessa Carrizosa, Coppin State
Seryna Esparza, Coppin State
Amelia Weber, Howard
Mia Gonzales, Howard
Ameenah Ballenger, Maryland Eastern Shore
Katelyn Smitchko, Maryland Eastern Shore
Anata Hunte, Morgan State
Gabby Vaughn, Norfolk State
Jaden Davis, North Carolina Central
Morgan Green, North Carolina Central
Ashanti Eubanks, North Carolina Central