TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Junior
London Booker tossed a complete-game and sophomore
Brianna Hampton drove in the winning runs with a three-run double to lead North Carolina Central University to a 4-1 victory in Saturday's second game at Florida A&M University.
The Lady Rattlers knocked off the Lady Eagles, 3-1, in the opener. The two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) squads are scheduled to play the rubber game at the Lady Rattler Softball Complex on Sunday at 6 p.m. Schedule changes may occur with potential rain forecasted for Sunday. Fans are encouraged to check the NCCU softball schedule page on the NCCUEaglePride.com athletics website for the most current schedule updates.
NCCU (16-23 Overall, 2-9 Conf.) will be looking for its first league series win in the two teams can play Sunday while FAMU (11-33, 4-4) will be trying to move over .500 in the league.
Sophomore starting pitcher Kenya Pereira limited NCCU to just two hits in leading the Lady Rattlers to the opening victory .Pereira (8-12) fanned nine Lady Eagles in her complete game performance.
NCCU put runners in scoring position in three innings but were only able to come through once with a sacrifice fly by senior
Emerie Germ accounting for the visitors lone run. Junior
Casey Hargett led off the sixth with NCCU's second and final hit to center field before tagging up and scoring on Germ's team-high 25th RBI.
Sophomore
Dominique Wilson, who notched NCCU's first base knock with a double into the left field gap to led off the second, had a quality start in the pitcher's circle. Wilson (6-10) scattered just six hits over six innings in the losing effort.
A leadoff walk eventually scored for FAMU's first run in the bottom of the third. The Lady Rattlers tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run single by sophomore Denise Anderson.
Booker was one out away from her second shutout of the season but a RBI-single by Anderson spoiled her clean sheet in the nightcap. Booker (9-13) gave up six hits and three walks over her seven quality innings with one strikeout and her one run allowed was an unearned tally.
Wilson broke a scoreless tie in the top of the third, ripping her second double of the day that scored Germ. The Lady Eagles maintained a one-run edge until adding three instrumental runs in the seventh with Hampton's clutch two-out double to center that cleared the loaded bases. Wilson and juniors
Kayleigh Brueck and
Markell Wylie all scored on the play.
NCCU outhit the Lady Rattlers, 9-6, with Hampton and junior
De'Onna Smith both collecting two base hits.