DSU Capital Softball Classic: Game 1 / Game 2 / Game 3 / Game 4

DOVER, DEL. – Mae’Risha Watts led the Lady Eagles of North Carolina Central University with three runs on the weekend to conclude the Delaware State University Capital Softball Classic on March 19-20 in Dover, Del., hosted by Delaware State University.

 

Over two-days of competition, the mighty maroon faced the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Mount St. Mary’s and Delaware State in tournament play, and battled UMES for the second time on the weekend for a consolation contest.

 

NCCU began the tournament with a Friday morning matchup against UMES. The Maryland based foes defeated the Lady Eagles 9-5 after seven innings of play. 

 

UMES rounded the bases first, scoring one run in the first inning. NCCU answered back with two runs to none in the second inning. The Lady Hawksupped the stakes bringing home three batters in the top of the third. The maroon and grey answered back with one run. In the fourth inning, the UMES bats and the NCCU bats went silent. Maryland Eastern Shore reactivated the swings with two innings in the fifth and three innings in the sixth inning. The Lady Eagles hit their final two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Both teams ended the contest without a run.

 

Watts paced the NCCU runs with two runs on two times at bat. Regina Diaz, Amanda Bullock, Nadia Moreta each amassed one run apiece. Ashanti Stroud and Moreta sent batters home off a hit.

 

NCCU head coach Michael Charlton placed Aurora Baker on the mound first. In five innings, Baker faced 31 batters, allowed 11 hits and nine runs, while walking two batters and throwing three strikeouts. Kayla McPeek followed Baker to circle. McPeek pitched two innings against 10 batters, in her time on the mound, she allowed three hits.

 

Carmen Gurrola led UMES with three runs on five times at bat. Charlise Castro followed with five times at bat with two runs. Castro and Lisa Bates also contributed to the RBI statistics, bringing home two runners apiece.

 

Amber Corrigan maintained the mound for UMES in all seven innings. Corrigan allowed six runs and five hits, while walking one batter and throwing four strikeouts.

 

NCCU continued the day with an afternoon matchup against Mount St. Mary’s. The Mountsbeat NCCU 8-4. 

 

The Lady Eagles seized their four runs in seven innings of play. The mighty maroon scored one run on the first inning and three runs in the fifth inning. Mount St. Mary’s hit six runs in the second inning and concluded with two runs on the sixth inning.

 

Whitney Boykin, Stroud, Baker and McPeek each scored one run apiece. McPeek held down the circle for the entire contest. In her time at the mound, McPeek allowed seven hits and eight run. While facing 30 batters, she walked two batters and threw three strikeouts.

 

LindseyRuhle led the Mount St. Mary’s run with two runs. AmandaSadowl maintained the mound for the entire game. She allowed five runs and four hits, while walking five batters and throwing six strikeouts.

 

NCCU ended the evening with a record of 0-2. 

The Lady Eagles faced Delaware State on Sunday, March 20 for the last game of tournament play, the Lady Hornets took the win 15-3.  

 

DSU scored 13 runs in the first three innings of play, one run in the first, eight runs in the second and four runs in the third. NCCU obtained its first three runs in top of the fourth. Delaware State wrapped up the game with two final runs.

 

Stroud, Diaz and Williams obtained the NCCU runs, scoring one run apiece. 

 

Shamika Chavies-Hodge began on the mound for the contest. Chavis-Hodge spent 1.2 innings in the circle allowing seven runs and nine hits, while walking five batters. McPeek relieved Chavis-Hodge to pitch 0.1 innings allowing one inning. In the remaining two innings, Baker hit the circle allowing six runs and six hits, while throwing one strikeout and walking three batters.

 

Jordan Reid and Rachel Carroll lead the Lady Hornets with three runs apiece, as Janelle Lukens and Kelsey Lewis seized two runs apiece. 

 

Three DSU pitchers maintained the circle, Ashlyn Campbell began throwing from the circle. Campbell spent three innings on the mound, during which time she allowed two hits, while walking three batters and throwing three strikeouts. Breanna Parr pitched for 0.2 innings, permitting one hit, three runs and walking five NCCU batters, while striking out one batter. Stephanie Sarris was last to circle. Sarris struck out three batters and allowed one hit in 1.1 innings.

 

The Lady Eagles finished tournament play with a record of 0-3, to place themselves in the consolation game against the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. NCCU lost 5-4.

 

Neither NCCU nor UMES scored until the third inning. NCCU scored one run on the third, while UMES scored two. The maroon and grey scored their last three runs in the top of the fourth inning. Maryland Eastern Shore scored two runs in the fifth inning and its final run in the bottom of the sixth inning.

 

McPeek, Boykin, Moreta and Watts scored one run apiece for the four innings of the contest. Baker maintained the mound for the entire contest, facing 31 batters, and allowing 12 hits and five runs. 

 

Castro, Gurrola, Jasmine James, Lisa Bates and Kyrus Whitehurst seized one run apiece for Delaware State. Gurrola pitched for the seven inning game, allowing seven hits and four runs, while striking out five batters.

 

The Lady Eagles return to the nest to welcome Florida A&M in a doubleheader on Saturday, April 2 in Cary, N.C. at Thomas Brooks Park, the first pitch is slated for 1 p.m.