DURHAM, N.C. (
www.NCCUEaglePride.com) – The North Carolina Central University softball team begins Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play as the Lady Eagles host the Wildcats from Bethune-Cookman University in a three-game series starting Saturday, March 30 in a doubleheader. Game one's first pitch set at 2 p.m. followed by a single game on Sunday, March 31 at 12 p.m., in Durham, N.C., at Parkwood Athletic Field.
Coming into the series NCCU is 2-22 after finishing 0-2 last week with a doubleheader against the Fighting Camels of Campbell University falling 14-2 and 7-1. B-CU is 6-27 overall after beating Elon 5-4 on Sunday, March 24. Since the Lady Eagles made the transition to Divison I the Wildcats lead the series 6-0 with a three-game sweep in Daytona Beach, Fla., in 2012.
Leading the Lady Eagles
Rookie
Amber Kirkland leads the NCCU offense, hitting .286 with 18 hits, including a team-high three doubles. Kirkland has tallied six RBIs while scoring six runs. Junior transfer
London Germ (.240) also has earned 18 hits, including two RBIs and a team-high nine runs scored, while senior
Nadia Jefferies has 12 hits, two doubles, four RBIs and five runs on the season.
Freshman
London Booker has earned 49 strikeouts in the circle for the Lady Eagles with a 7.76 ERA, starting on the mound for NCCU 17 times, while throwing in 23 total this season. Senior
Bianka Molina has tallied 15 strike outs for NCCU in 13 games, while fellow senior
Kayla McPeek has collected five in four appearances.
Scouting the Wildcats
Bethune-Cookman is led by Michelle Banuelos-Smith (.307), who has earned 27 hits with seven doubles, one triple and four homers while collecting 15 RBIs. Simone Ceasar has also tallied 27 hits with seven RBIs and 10 runs scored while Aurelia Gamch has amassed 26 hits, nine RBIs, one homer and an additional ten runs scored for the Wildcats.
Samantha Gale (4-8) has earned four of B-CU’s six victories on the rubber. Gale has an ERA of 4.71 while striking out 23 batters on the season. Shanel Tolbert (2-19) has an ERA of 5.10 with 52 strike outs in 126.1 innings pitched.
