March 8, 2010
DURHAM, N.C. -
The North Carolina Central University softball team (2-9) will return to the diamond on Tuesday, March 9 to host the Tigers of Saint Paul's College in doubleheader action at the Thomas Brooks Athletic Complex in Cary, N.C. Game times are set for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
The Lady Eagles were scheduled to open the 2010 season against Saint Paul's on Feb. 11, but poor field conditions forced the postponement of the matchup, moving the game to a later date.
NCCU and Saint Paul's will meet once again after becoming frequent opponents just years ago when the Lady Eagles were a member of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. The last time the two teams met was on March 24, 2007 in Lawrenceville, Va. NCCU swept the doubleheader 13-2 and 11-7.
Coming into Tuesday's game, the Lady Eagles stand with a 2-9 record, following back-to-back losses to Mount St. Mary's on Monday, March 1. NCCU earned its two victories against Norfolk State and South Carolina State.
The Lady Eagles have seven student-athletes hitting above .300, including three that are hitting above .400. Shakemia Edwards is the power hitter for NCCU, hitting .435 on the season with 10 hits on 23 at-bats with one homerun and 13 RBIs. Edwards is joined by freshmen Nadia Jefferies and Kayla McPeek, who are both hitting .429 on the season.
Jefferies has totaled 12 hits on 28 at-bats with one double and one RBI, while McPeek has three hits on seven at-bats, while totaling a .967 field percentage. Redshirt freshman Trishann Hayes is the most consistent in the batter's box for the Lady Eagles as she is hitting .367 with 11 hits on 30 at-bats. She has notched four doubles, one homerun and 10 RBIs, the most on the team.
Making the start in the circle for the Lady Eagles on Tuesday will be McPeek, who sits at 1-2 on the season. She has allowed 30 runs on 40 hits in 21.1 innings of work, while notching a 7.43 earned run average. The freshman is one of two Lady Eagles to earn a win this season. Kristen Schooler is the other NCCU student-athlete to earn a win, standing at 1-2 after allowing 35 runs on 35 hits in 17.1 innings pitched.
Following the matchup with Saint Paul's, NCCU will make its longest trip of the season. The Lady Eagles will head to Lubbock, Texas this weekend to compete in the Texas Tech Tournament, hosted by Texas Tech University. It will be the Lady Eagles' first trip to Lubbock and their first against the Red Raiders. Joining NCCU and Texas Tech will be Jackson State University. The Lady Eagles will play five games over the course of three days, March 12-14. All games will be played at the Rocky Johnson Field on the campus of Texas Tech.
For more information on Lady Eagle softball, visit the official website of NCCU Athletics at www.NCCUEaglePride.com.
