Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The North Carolina Central University softball team dropped a pair of match-ups during day two action of the Upstate Classic Softball Tournament, falling to Eastern Michigan 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning and coming up short against Youngstown State with a 6-5 decision in the bottom of the seventh on Saturday, Feb. 8 in Spartanburg, S.C.

During game one, both teams remained scoreless for a complete seven innings.

Entering the top of the eighth inning the Texas tiebreaker placed sophomore Angelique Perricelli (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) on second base with fellow sophomore Markell Wylie (Fayetteville, N.C.) do up at the plate. Wylie singled to center field, earning her second hit of the game, and advanced to second on the throw, moving Perricelli to third. Senior London Germ (Canton, Ga.) lined out to third base before her junior sister Emerie Germ (Caton, Ga.) singled to right field, scoring Perricelli, putting the Lady Eagles on the board leading 1-0.

Eastern Michigan used a sacrifice bunt to advance Hostetler to third base followed by a single to left center to knot the score at one.  It was a double by EMU's Lucas to left center field that pushed the opposing Eagles ahead giving them the 2-1 victory in extra innings.

Sophomore London Booker (Richmond, Va.) took home the loss for NCCU pitching the complete 7 plus innings. Booker (0-2) gave up four hits, two runs, one earned run while striking out four batters and walking none.

During game two, the Lady Eagles bats were hot during the top of the first innings as NCCU put four runs on the board off of four hits.

After Wylie earned the first out of the game London Germ was hit by a pitch and stole second base, putting her in scoring position. Emerie Germ singled to right field, advancing to second on the throw, moving her sister to third.

Senior Camille Hampton (Lakewood, Calif.) flew out to center field on a sacrifice fly, scoring London Germ. In the five spot, with one out, redshirt freshmen Jenny Tracy (LaGrange, Ore.) reached first on a fielding error by Youngstown's second basemen, advancing Emerie Germ to third.

The Lady Eagles collected their second run of the inning after Tracy stole second, allowing Emerie Germ to score from third off of a throwing mishap by the Penguins catcher.  

Rookie Briana Hampton (Lakewood, Calif.) put a RBI in the books for NCCU on a single to center field which scored Tracy and put the Lady Eagles on top 3-0.

Sophomore Amber Kirkland (Raleigh, N.C.) singled to left field while both Lady Eagle base runners seized an extra base on a throwing error from YSU's left fielder.

The first inning ended after junior Tiphani Jackson (Bowie, Md.) singled to left field, scoring Briana Hampton, before Jackson was caught out at second, leaving Kirkland stranded.

The Penguins answered during the bottom of the inning, matching the Lady Eagles four runs off of six hits, one NCCU error and leaving three runners on base.

The next four innings remained scoreless for both teams before the Lady Eagles pushed back on top during the top of the sixth.

Rookie Briana Hampton collected her first homerun of her collegiate career, leading off the inning with a solo shot to center field.

After YSU's first two batters were thrown out at first during the bottom of the sixth, the Penguin's number two batter, Ewing, doubled to left center field, followed by a NCCU timeout to make a pitching change.

Booker took over the circle for Briana Hampton and finished the inning, holding YSU scoreless in the sixth.

With the Lady Eagles on top 5-4 going into the top of the seventh inning, Youngstown sat down three consecutive NCCU batters.

During the last half inning of the game, the Penguin's clear-up batter singled to center field followed by a two RBI homer from YSU's Castiglione over the left field fence, giving Youngstown the final inning, 6-5 victory over the Lady Eagles.

Briana Hampton (0-0)  gave up nine hits, four runs and four earned runs during her pitching debut for NCCU, while Booker (0-3) collected the loss for NCCU after only facing three batters, giving up two hits and two earned runs.