DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central University will enter Tuesday's non-conference softball doubleheader against Gardner-Webb University with a three-game win streak on the line. The first game at Parkwood Athletic Field is slated for a 3 p.m. first pitch.
Both games will be carried live on the NCCU Sports Network, with Mike Wood on air with the play-by-play. NCCU sports information will be providing live stats and fans can also get updates on Twitter by following @NCCUAthletics.
GAME INFO Tuesday, March 22 at 3:00/5:00 p.m.Gardner-Webb at N.C. Central
Parkwood Athletic Field | Durham, N.C.
LIVE STATS |
AUDIO N.C. Central Softball The Lady Eagles coasted to 6-0 and 13-4 wins over University of Maryland Eastern Shore on Thursday to extend their home win streak to three games. NCCU is 3-22 on the season.
Junior designated player
Dominique Wilson has reached base in eight consecutive games and now leads the Lady Eagles with a .302 average and 10 RBI. Wilson, who boasted a .647 on-base percentage in six games last week, hit a grand slam in the finale against UMES.
Senior third baseman
Markell Wylie (.290 average, 11 runs, .380 on-base percentage) and sophomore shortstop
Danyelle Noland (.241, 10 runs, 4 stolen bases, .362 on-base percentage) have contributed 21 of NCCU's 52 runs scored from atop of the lineup.
Senior catcher
Casey Hargett (.258, 7 RBI) and junior second baseman
Jenny Tracy (.254) pace the Lady Eagles with five extra-base hits apiece. Tracy and senior first baseman
Kayleigh Brueck (.185, 8 RBI) both have hit two home runs.
Junior
Jennifer Allison (1-9, 5.60 ERA, 31 SO, 65.0 IP) is coming off her first complete-game shutout in a Maroon and Gray uniform and leads the team in innings pitched. Senior
London Booker (2-9, 7.09 ERA, 43 SO, 52.1) has won her last two home starts and has fanned the most batters. Wilson (0-3, 5.25 ERA) made her first pitching performance in nearly a month due to injury with one shutout inning last week. Freshman
Breanna Carter (0-1, 1.80 ERA) has NCCU's lone save.
NCCU played Gardner-Webb for the first time since fifth year head coach
Theresa Stephens has been coaching the Lady Eagles last season. The Runnin' Bulldogs swept both ends of the doubleheader by scores of 8-2 and 6-2.
Gardner-Webb Softball The Runnin' Bulldogs have started the month of March going 1-7 to dip below .500 at 10-13 overall. Gardner-Webb is coming off a pair of losses to Furman University last Wednesday.
Freshman outfielder Kaylee Wacaster has been making an immediate impact at her local university. The speedy Boiling Springs product is batting .338 with team-high marks of 20 runs, eight doubles and eight stolen bases.
The Runnin' Bulldogs are batting .279 as a team with four other starters batting over .300 in senior outfielder Jill Blank (.324, 11 RBI, 10 R), senior first baseman Amanda Gomes (.324, 16 RBI, 13 R, 3 HR), sophomore catcher Rachel Cumiskey (.318, 14 R, 13 RBI, 2 HR) and senior first baseman Scarlett Harris (.313, 16 RBI, 12 R, 4 HR)
Cumiskey is the reigning Big South Freshman of the Year and Gomes was all-conference in 2012.
GWU has used five pitchers this season with junior transfer Mackenzie Thompson (6-4, 3.77 ERA, 30 SO, 61.1 IP) hurling nearly half of the teams innings pitched. Classmate Summer Darnell (4-3, 3.13 ERA, 43 SO, 38.0 IP) accounts for the Runnin' Bulldogs other victories and is averaging over one strikeout per inning.
