DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central University held a four-run lead late but two costly errors allowed South Carolina State University back into the game and eventually win the rubber game of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) softball series, 9-6, at Parkwood Athletic Field Sunday.
Junior leftfielder
Markell Wylie led the Lady Eagles reaching base in all four of her plate appearances. Wylie totaled three singles and one walk.
SCSU scored four unearned runs in the top of the sixth to knot the score at 6-all by taking advantage of NCCU's 12th and 13th errors of the series. The Lady Bulldogs kept the momentum into the seventh and scored three go-ahead runs on five hits and a walk.
South Carolina State improved to 7-19 overall and 2-7 in the MEAC with the series win while North Carolina Central dropped to 15-22 on the season and 1-8 in league skirmishes.
The Lady Eagles first scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning. A pair of singles by Wylie and junior
De'Onna Smith around a junior
Demiree Briones walk loaded the bases for NCCU. Junior
Casey Hargett then drew the second walk of the inning to plate the first run of the contest. Junior
Kayleigh Brueck was hit by a pitch in the ensuing trip to the plate for the painful RBI.
Sophomore Unique Whitehurst and freshman Deanna Sullivan drove in a couple SCSU runs in the top of the fifth to level the score at 2-2 before NCCU regained the lead in the home half of the frame.
Brueck led off with a single and scored on base hit by sophomore
Dominique Wilson. Briones added a two-run triple to deep right that knocked in Wilson and Wylie, who preceded Briones' at bat with a walk. Briones tagged up and scored on a sophomore
Brianna Hampton sacrifice fly to cap the hosts surge ahead.
The Lady Bulldogs capitalized on NCCU's two infield errors in the top of the sixth that once again evened the scoreboard at 6-6. SCSU's comeback was highlighted by a game-tying, two-run homer from Whitehurst.
Whitehurst added a go-ahead single in the three-run seventh to finish with four RBI. Sophomore Jasmine Greer scored three times for the Lady Bulldogs and Sullivan knocked in three runs.
NCCU loaded the bases on SCSU sophomore starter Jareece Sayles in the bottom of the seventh including consecutive singles by Wylie and Briones to put the potential three tying runs all on base. However, Sayles (5-11) got two popups to end the threat and earn her second complete-game victory over the Lady Eagles.
The Maroon and Gray had 11 hits including a pair by both Briones and Smith but the hosts left nine runners on base.
NCCU continues MEAC play with a road trip to Tallahassee, Florida, for a three-game series at Florida A&M University on Saturday-Sunday, April 18-19.
