DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University softball team heads to Charleston Southern University for four games in the Buccaneer Invitational on Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 17-18.
 
Charleston Southern sports information will be providing live stats (different links) for all four NCCU games at the CSU Softball Complex. Fans can follow NCCU softball all season by visiting NCCUEaglePride.com and on social media at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
 
Game Info

Saturday, Feb. 17
9:00 AM - NCCU vs. Eastern Kentucky | STATS
1:00 PM – NCCU at Charleston Southern | STATS
 
Sunday, Feb. 18
1:00 PM – NCCU vs. Valparaiso | STATS
3:00 PM – NCCU at Charleston Southern | STATS
 
N.C. Central Softball
 
The Eagles lost a pair of narrow 5-4 contests in their season opener at Elon University last Saturday. NCCU (0-2) has a .194 team batting average, 3.13 team ERA and .969 team fielding percentage.
 
Sophomore third baseman Ava Dolan, who batted .324 in MEAC games last season as a rookie, is batting .400 with one home run, three RBI, two runs and a walk. Freshman utility Kelsey Ray, senior pitcher/outfielder Courtney Mirabella and junior outfielder Aleyah Evans all had multi-hit performances in the twin bill against the Phoenix.
 
Mirabella (0-1) tossed 9 2/3 innings in her NCCU debut. She only allowed three earned runs in the extra-inning affair and has a 2.17 ERA. Junior Claire Eosso (0-1, 4.67 ERA) has NCCU's other start.
 
Eastern Kentucky Softball
 
The Colonels started the season 3-1 in the Total Control Invitational hosted by Loyola Chicago with wins over Fort Wayne (6-5), North Colorado (4-0) and Loyola Chicago (5-4) and a loss to DePaul (4-0). EKU was 27-31 last season.
 
Senior outfielder Paige Murphy, who is batting just .200 through four games with two stolen bases, is a two-time All-OVC honoree that batted in the high .390s each of the last two seasons. Junior second baseman Hannah Clark has led the Colonels in home runs in each of her first two seasons and has started off this season going 5-for-11 (.455) with a double, triple and three RBI.
 
Sophomore Mollie Paulick (1-0) and freshmen Tori Peterson (1-0) and Samantha Reynoso (1-1) all have earned wins on the rubber. Paulick (5.19 ERA) won a team-high 13 games last season and Peterson maintains a flawless 0.00 ERA through her first three collegiate appearances.
 
Charleston Southern Softball
 
The Bucs opened up their campaign hosting the Wingate by Wyndham Invitational and going 3-1 with a split against North Dakota (W, 1-0 & L, 4-2) and wins over North Carolina A&T (6-0) and Towson (15-4). CSU was 26-36 last season.
 
Junior outfielder Jade Gandara went a staggering 10-for-13 (.769) on opening weekend with one home run, six RBI and five runs. Gandara was a First Team All-Big South honoree last year after leading the league in home runs (16) and doubles (17) while batting .354. Freshman shortstop Madison Koger (.455) and sophomore utility Mallory Kasinger (.364) – 2017 Big South All-Freshman Team – both averaging a hit a game through four games.
 
Charleston Southern boasts a 1.35 team ERA. Freshman Alyssa Heinrich (2-0) has two of the Bucs three wins and flashes a 0.70 ERA. Sophomore Holly Clark, who tossed nine complete games, is 1-0 with a 1.56 ERA. Junior Arizona Pilgrim (0-1, 2.80 ERA) led CSU with nine wins and two saves last year.
 
Valparaiso Softball
 
The Crusaders begin 2-2 after the Troy Classic last weekend with a sweep of Tennessee State (3-1 and 9-0) and losses to SIUE (5-0) and Troy (7-0). Valpo went 28-23 in 2017.
 
Senior Kenzie Grossmann recorded 20 wins for the Crusaders last season and had a 3.05 ERA. Grossman (1-1, 0.62) already leads Valpo on innings pitched (11.1) and strikeouts (9) this year. Senior Ashlyn Montgomery (0-1) and sophomore Emily Richardson (1-0) both sport 0.00 ERA and junior transfer Kelsie Packard (0-0, 7.00 ERA) – NJCAA Division III Pitcher of the Year – rounds out a staff that has a team 1.40 ERA.
 
Junior second baseman Carly Trepanier, who was a two-time Horizon League Second Team honoree, is batting .313 with two triples. Freshman Addi Burke has started off her career 5-for-9 for a team-best .556 batting average. Junior shortstop Jaymee Lawton (.400) has a team-best four RBI and senior center fielder Taylor Lawson (.333) has three stolen bases.