WILMINGTON, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University softball team was run-ruled twice in Sunday's action at the Hampton Inn University Area Seahawk Softball Classic.
 
The Lady Eagles were first no-hit in an 8-0 loss to Bucknell University on Sunday morning before suffering a 10-0 defeat by host UNC Wilmington. Both games were five innings long.
 
NCCU (0-11 Overall) returns to action at the UNC Greensboro Spartan Classic next weekend. The Lady Eagles will play Brown and Rutgers twice and host UNCG once.
 
Bucknell 8, N.C. Central 0 (5 Innings)
 
Senior Cindy Cherness pitched a no-hitter for the Bison and she got plenty of run support with the help of four NCCU errors in the shortened contest. Cherness (1-0) made her first start of the season memorable with six strikeouts.
 
Cherness nearly recorded a perfect game but NCCU senior Kayleigh Brueck broke up that chance by drawing a one-out walk in the fifth. However, Cherness did face the minimum for a five-inning game, after an ensuing double play ended the designated visitor's half of the frame.
 
Senior London Booker went the distance for the Lady Eagles but four errors led to five unearned runs in the loss. Booker (0-4) had three strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings of work but did allow eight runs (three earned) on a dozen Bucknell hits.
 
Senior Amanda Fazio ignited the Bison offense from the top of the lineup with three hits, including two doubles, and two runs scored. Sophomore Meghan Kovac drove in a team-high two runs.
 
Bucknell improved to 5-4 with the win over the Lady Eagles and then won their fourth straight game in the Seahawk Classic by knocking off UNCW 5-0 in the nightcap.
 
The loss marked the second time NCCU has been no-hit this season.
 
UNC Wilmington 10, N.C. Central (5 Innings)
 
The Seahawks used two big innings to coast to the 10-run victory in five innings. UNCW scored six runs in the second and four more in the third.
 
Junior Jennifer Allison (0-3) retired the Seahawks in order in the first, before running into trouble in the second. UNCW collected five singles and two doubles in the frame to push across a half dozen runs. Another handful of five singles in the third led to the final four markers.
 
Junior Merritt Wilkinson knocked in four Seahawk runs with a two-run double in the second and a two-run single in the third. Senior Erin plated three more UNCW runs with a pair of run-producing singles up the middle.
 
NCCU put leadoff runners on base in the first and second innings but were never able push any runs across to be shut out for the eighth time. Senior Markell Wylie led off the game with an infield single and Brueck started the second with NCCU's lone extra-base hit of the day, a double down the left field line.
 
Sophomore Danyelle Noland tacked on the third and final NCCU hit with a single in the fifth.
 
UNCW (10-4) used two pitchers in freshman Lacey Fox (1-1) and junior Peyton Jordan for the combined shutout.