DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University softball team will conclude the first month of the season with its third consecutive weekend event on the road. The Lady Eagles are scheduled to play four games in the Hampton Inn University Area Seahawk Softball Classic hosted by UNC Wilmington on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 27-28 at Boseman Field.
NCCU will play host UNCW and Bucknell University both days. Tickets are $7 for adults and $2 for children. UNCW will be providing live stats for all games.
2016 Hampton Inn University Area Seahawk Softball Classic Website GAME SCHEDULE Saturday, Feb. 27 10:00 AM – NCCU vs. UNC Wilmington, Boseman Field (
Live Stats)
3:00 PM – NCCU vs. Bucknell, Boseman Field (
Live Stats)
Sunday, Feb. 2810:00 AM – NCCU vs. Bucknell, Boseman Field (
Live Stats)
3:00 PM- NCCU vs. UNC Wilmington, Boseman Field (
Live Stats)
North Carolina Central University Softball The Lady Eagles fell to 0-7 on the season after losing all five games in the Upstate Classic last weekend against a trio of strong opponents. NCCU has been shutout five times and has only scored three runs in seven games.
NCCU is batting .139 with only four players at or above the Mendoza line (.200 or better). Junior
Dominique Wilson, who leads the Lady Eagles in batting average (.313) and innings pitched (12.1), suffered an injury in NCCU's last game.
Senior
Markell Wylie (.214), who was named to the Upstate Classic All-Tournament Team last weekend, tops the Maroon and Gray with a .353 on-base percentage. Sophomore
Danyelle Noland and freshman
Janeen Reynolds lead NCCU's newcomers with .200 batting averages.
Veterans
Casey Hargett (.063 2016/.361 2015),
Jenny Tracy (.118/.291),
Brianna Hampton (.125/.247) and
Kayleigh Brueck (.111/.239) have all struggled from the plate so far this season compared to last year.
Senior
London Booker (0-2, 9.00 ERA, 9 SO, 11.2 IP), junior
Jennifer Allison (0-1, 3.75 ERA, 5 SO, 9.1 IP) and freshman
Breanna Carter (0-1, 4.85 ERA, 0 SO, 4.1 IP) are expected to toss most of NCCU's innings this weekend.
NCCU last played UNC Wilmington in a three-game series in 2014 with the Seahawks sweeping the set by scores of 4-0, 11-3 and 6-3.
The Lady Eagles will be playing Bucknell for the first time under the leadership of fifth-year head coach
Theresa Stephens.
UNC Wilmington Softball The Seahawks went an undefeated 5-0 in the Lafayette Showcase last weekend to move five games over .500 at 7-2. UNCW will play Bucknell Friday night before battling the Lady Eagles on Saturday and Sunday.
Freshman second baseman Kali Jones has made an immediate impact for the Seahawks. Jones is batting a staggering .611 (11 for 18) with five stolen bases and nine runs scored. Fellow rookie third baseman Hannah Adamczyk is second on the team with a .450 batting average.
Junior right fielder Claudia Spinelli – a 2015 All-Colonial Athletic Association second-team selection – paces the UNCW veterans with a .385 average and team-high marks of five doubles and eight RBI.
Freshman Haley Lenderman (3-0, 0.35 ERA) and sophomore Sarah Davis (2-0, 0.93 ERA) both sport sub-1.00 ERA's for the Seahawk hurlers. Junior Peyton Jordan (2-1, 3.17 ERA) joined Spinelli as an All-CAA honoree last year.
Bucknell University Softball The Bison return to North Carolina for a second-straight weekend after starting their season going 2-3 in East Carolina University Pirate Clash a week ago. Bucknell (Lewisburg, Pa.) is picked to finish second in the Patriot League in 2016.
A pair of seniors provide the Bison with veteran leadership from the pitcher's circle. Senior Amanda Fazio (1-2, 1.84 ERA) was named All-Patriot League as a freshman and then made the Patriot League All-Tournament Team in 2014 and 2015, after helping guide Bucknell to runs to the championship game both times. Classmate Dana Nielson (1-0, 1.00 ERA) led the Bison in ERA last season and in strikeouts two years ago.
Junior infielder Jacee Almond was named Second Team All-Patriot League each of the last two years but only played in two games last weekend. However, Almond did get a hit in her only at-bat.
Sophomore first baseman Meghan Kovac has started the season with a five-game hit streak for a team-best .688 batting average. Kovac leads Bucknell with three extra-base hits and five RBI. Fazio also provides a potent bat to her pitching, batting .421 with team-best marks of five runs, two triples and two stolen bases.
