DURHAM, N.C. – The Lady Eagles of North Carolina Central University scored 17 runs on 19 hits in powering past visiting University of Maryland Eastern Shore in a non-conference doubleheader sweep on a rainy Thursday afternoon at Parkwood Athletic Field.
NCCU coasted to the win in both games by scores of 8-0 and 9-3 to move over .500 at 10-8 overall. The Lady Eagles under the direction of fourth year head coach
Theresa Stephens have reached the double-digit wins plateau for the first time in the programs NCAA Division I era (2008-present) surpassing last year's win total of nine.
The Lady Eagles used the long ball in the first game hitting four round trippers to win in five innings.
Sophomore pitcher
Dominique Wilson helped her own cause with two solo blasts. Sophomore second baseman
Jenny Tracy put the exclamation point on an eight-run fourth inning with a grand slam down the left field line. Senior catcher/right fielder
Emerie Germ also had a two-run blast, her team-leading fourth long ball of 2015.
Wilson, the reigning MEAC Pitcher of the Week, tossed her second complete-game shutout over a MEAC foe from the Northern Division. Wilson leveled her overall record to 4-4 giving up just three hits over five innings while fanning three Hawks.
Wilson started the Lady Eagles scoring with a leadoff blast to left-center in the second.
NCCU's eight-run fourth featured seven hits and two walks including three homers. Germ and Wilson went yard back-to-back and Tracy, who led off the frame with a double, cleared the bases with her grand slam in her second plate appearance of the big inning. Junior
Markell Wylie also earned an RBI by drawing a bases-loaded walk.
UMES scored an unearned run in the third inning of the nightcap to grab its only lead of the day.
The Lady Eagles catapulted ahead with two runs in the home half of the third on a single by Germ and a double by junior
Demiree Briones. However, the Hawks were able to knot the score at 2-2 on the strength of a triple and a sacrifice fly.
A four-run fourth that included consecutive RBI hits by junior
Casey Hargett, Tracy and Germ put the hosts back on top at 6-2.
Maryland Eastern Shore (2-13) was able to scratch out one more run on NCCU junior starter
London Booker in the fifth but the Hawks never really threatened catching the Lady Eagles late.
North Carolina Central tacked on two more insurance runs in the sixth with Germ and Wilson both driving in another tally apiece.
Germ was 6 for 7 on the day with five RBI to increase her team-best average to .481. Wilson joined Tracy, Briones and Hargett with three hits each. Tracy matched Germ with five RBI while Tracy and Hargett both crossed home plate four times.
Booker (6-4) earned the complete-game victory allowing just two earned runs on eight hits over seven innings with six K's. Booker leads the MEAC with six wins.
Alexis Hudson and Kaitlyn Hitch had the Hawks two RBI on the day and Allison Anderson scored twice for the visitors.
NCCU hits the road to Lynchburg, Va., for six neutral site games in the Liberty Classic from Friday-Sunday, March 20-22.
