Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. — After dropping a narrow 2-1 loss to Marist College, the North Carolina Central University softball team rallied from a five-run deficit to defeat host Gardner-Webb University, 7-5, in eight innings on the opening day of the Red and Black Tournament Friday.
 
Sophomore third baseman Ava Dolan paced the Lady Eagles going 4-for-5 with five RBI on the day.
 
NCCU (3-7) will play the same two teams again on Saturday, with a 10 a.m. showdown against Marist (3-4) and a Noon battle against Gardner-Webb (12-7).
 
FINAL: Marist 2, N.C. Central 1
 
The Lady Eagles made a late rally, but the potential tying runner was tagged out at home in the seventh to give the Red Foxes the one-run victory.
 
A pair of NCCU errors cost NCCU the victory. Marist posted an unearned run in both the third and fourth innings due to the two infield fielding errors.
 
Junior Kallen Leeseberg (1-1) picked up her first win of the season, holding NCCU to one run on five hits and five walks over the first 6 1/3 innings. Leeseberg recorded five strikeouts. Classmate Megan Beiermeister recorded the final two outs with game-tying run just 60 feet from home.
 
Freshman Kaitlyn Macon drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the sixth that led to NCCU's first run. Pinch runner Kelsey Locklear eventually scored that run on a single by sophomore Ava Dolan.
 
A single by freshman Jacobia Johnson and a walk by senior Fallon Roberson started the Eagles' one-out rally in the seventh. Johnson and pinch runner Zakiya Smith moved up a base on a wild pitch. However, Johnson was tagged out at home on the next play and then the game ended on a strikeout with Smith standing at third.
 
Senior Courtney Mirabella, who is the reigning MEAC Pitcher of the Week, went the distance of the maroon and gray and she did not allow an earned run. Mirabella (2-4) was saddled with the loss because of the two unearned runs. She struck out seven Red Foxes over seven innings.
 
The Eagles finished with five hits, all singles by five different batters.
 
FINAL: N.C. Central 7, Gardner-Webb 5 (8 innings)
 
NCCU scored all seven of its runs in the final four innings to make the dramatic comeback win in extra innings. Dolan highlighted the comeback efforts with four RBI, including a three-run double in the fifth and a game-tying RBI-single with two outs in the seventh.
 
Mirabella added a run-producing double. She also earned the win with three innings of scoreless relief. Mirabella recorded five of her nine outs needed with K's to improve to 3-4 on the season.
 
Freshman Kelsey Ray drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth with a single and sophomore Dalika Wallace tacked on an insurance run with an RBI-groundout. Freshman Jessica Powell scored twice in NCCU's rally. Dolan was 3-for-4 and Mirabella was 2-for-4 as they accounted for five of the visitors eight base knocks.
 
Junior Claire Eosso made the start in the pitcher's circle for the Lady Eagles. She allowed five runs (three earned) over the first two innings before settling down to toss three scoreless innings from the third to the fifth.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs raced out to a 5-nil advantage with four runs in the first and one in the second. Freshman Katie Prebble led the early surge by hitting a home run in the first and then drawing a bases-loaded, RBI-walk in the second. Prebble leads NCAA Division I with 11 home runs.