ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – A seventh-inning rally by fourth-seeded North Carolina Central University fell short in a 6-3 loss to third-seeded North Carolina A&T State University on day two of the 2017 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Championship at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex Friday morning.
 
Trailing 6-1 heading into its last inning, NCCU plated two runs and had two more runners on base when the Aggies survived the elimination game with a groundout.
 
North Carolina A&T (18-29-1) will play another elimination game Friday against Delaware State University.
 
The Lady Eagles finish their season at 13-30 overall. NCCU increased its overall and league win totals from a season ago under the leadership of first year head coach Vashion Johnson and picked up its first ever postseason win in the MEAC tourney against Morgan State on Thursday before being ousted a day later.
 
The decisive six-run fourth featured seven Aggie hits. One costly NCCU error in the frame made four of the six runs unearned. Highlights of the A&T rally included RBI doubles by Talisha Jenkins and Stephanie Williams and a two-run double off the bat of Mohagony Headen.
 
Junior Lauren Sitterson gave the Lady Eagles the initial 1-nil edge in the top of the second. Junior Fallon Roberson led off with a single to right and she was replaced by pinch runner Zakiya Smith. After freshman Dalika Wallace added her own single to left, Sitterson drove in Smith with the third single of the outburst.
 
However, NCCU did not get another hit until the seventh inning. Starter Mohagony Headen (9-15) earned the win, going the first four innings and allowing just one earned run on three hits with four strikeouts.
 
Zadasia Waddell was credited with her second save of the season by keeping NCAT in front over her three innings of relief. One of her two runs allowed was unearned.
 
NCCU's seventh-inning rally was aided by two Aggie errors. Junior Ryann Kostandin singled and scored the first run of the late rally. Freshman Ava Dolan came home for the final run on a ball put in play by senior Brianna Hampton.
 
North Carolina A&T held a 14-6 hit advantage, with all nine of its starters hitting safely. NCCU's six hits were off six different bats.
 
Senior Dominique Wilson suffered the loss despite only two of her six runs allowed being earned. Wilson finished her final season at 9-17, and she only allowed four earned runs over 18 innings of postseason work in the MEAC Championship.