March 9, 2010

Final Stats - Game 1

Final Stats - Game 2

CARY, N.C. - North Carolina Central University (4-9) renewed its rivalry with Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) foe Saint Paul's College (0-2) Tuesday afternoon in a battle that saw the Lady Eagles sweep the Lady Tigers by scores of 12-7 and 12-1 in doubleheader action at Thomas Brooks Park in Cary, N.C.

Two NCCU student-athletes hit .800 on the day to help lead the Lady Eagles past the Lady Tigers. Nadia Jefferies and Desanbra Franklin were unstoppable at the plate with each going 4-for-5. Jefferies notched a double to go along with six runs, three walks and three stolen bases. The freshman also contributed five putouts on defense.

Franklin, who adds strength to the Lady Eagle lineup, showed that strength as the only student-athlete to hit a homerun on the day. Franklin had a homerun along with four RBIs, five runs, two walks and two stolen bases. The senior from Piqua, Ohio, is now hitting .429 on the season behind Jefferies, who is hitting .485.

Assisting Jefferies and Franklin on offense was Trishann Hayes, who went 3-for-6 on the day with one RBI, three runs and two walks. Hayes has been an impact player for the Lady Eagles this season and is the most consistent as she is hitting .389 with 14 hits on 36 at-bats. She has notched four doubles, one homerun and 11 RBIs.

Kayla McPeek (2-2) made the start in the circle for the Lady Eagles in the first outing, earning her second win of the season after allowing six runs on nine hits with three strikeouts in five innings of work. The second outing saw Shamika Chavis-Hodge (1-1) take the mound, earning her first win of the season after allowing one run on two hits and four strikeouts in four innings of action.

Senior Kristen Schooler (1-2) saw action in both games, coming in to close out both contests. On the day, she allowed just one run on one hit and two strikeouts in three innings pitched.

NCCU committed just five errors to go along with 24 runs and 18 hits on 52 at-bats. As a team, the Lady Eagles notched 15 RBIs and 15 walks, while leaving 15 runners stranded on the bases. Saint Paul's took the field for the first time this season and proved to be a little rusty as they committed nine errors on the day to go along with eight runs and 12 hits on 46 at-bats. The Lady Tigers totaled eight RBIs and one walk, while leaving six on base.

The Lady Tigers were led by Takesha Rhodes, who went 3-for-7 on the day. She notched a double and a stolen base, while earning two runs. She closed out the second game on the mound, where she allowed one run on one hit in one inning of work with one walk and one strikeout.

Aside from Rhodes, Kristina Caldwell contributed to the Lady Tiger offense, going 2-for-3 on the day with a double and five RBIs. Earning the loss in the circle on both occasions was Scherrie Smith (0-2). Smith allowed 23 runs on 17 hits with 14 walks and three strikeouts. Of those 23 runs, 15 were earned.

The first game was a battle for NCCU, who had to fight to stay ahead on the scoreboard. Saint Paul's scored the first run of the game following a double from Rhodes, who was plated off a single to centerfield by Caldwell.

With Saint Paul's up 1-0, the Lady Eagles answered back with two runs in the first following three walks, four stolen bases and two passed balls. NCCU did not get a single hit in the first inning, but managed to take a 2-1 lead going into the second inning of play.

Saint Paul's returned the favor to earn another run in the second to tie the game at two runs apiece and halted the Lady Eagles at two going into the third inning. The Lady Tigers continued their pattern with three runs in the third to take a 5-2 lead, while NCCU cut the deficit to one, 5-4, in the bottom of the third.

The next three innings saw the Lady Eagles come alive with eight runs off of five hits, to give them 12 runs on the game. A tough NCCU defense kept Saint Paul's off the scoreboard with just two runs in the next four innings. The Lady Tigers scored one run in the fifth and one in the seventh, but it wasn't enough to catch the Lady Eagles as NCCU claimed a 12-7 win after coming from three runs down.

NCCU played a much different ballgame in the second contest, jumping on the Lady Tigers quickly. The Lady Eagles scored four quick runs in the first inning to take a 4-1 lead. Saint Paul's got on the scoreboard once again with one run from Rhodes, which was their only run of the ballgame.

The Lady Eagles held the Lady Tigers to just two hits, while they continued to extend the lead. NCCU scored five runs in the second, two in the third and one in the fourth to claim a 12-1 lead going into the top of the fifth. Three straight outs would force the game to end in five innings as the Lady Eagles took a 12-1 win.

NCCU added two more victories in the win column to improve to 4-9 on the season. The Lady Eagles are just one win shy of tying their winning record from last season. Saint Paul's dropped to 0-2 as they kicked-off their 2010 season against the Lady Eagles.

The Lady Eagles will make their longest trip of the season this weekend when they head to Lubbock, Texas 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 battle with the Red Raiders. Joining NCCU and Texas Tech will be Jackson State University, who the Lady Eagles will also face for the first time in program history.

NCCU will play five games over the course of thee days, March 12-14, with two games on Friday and Saturday and one game on Sunday to conclude the tournament. All games will be played at the Rocky Johnson Field on the campus of Texas Tech University.

For more information on Lady Eagle softball, visit the official website of NCCU Athletics at www.NCCUEaglePride.com.