DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University softball team will make its home debut at Thomas Brooks Park in Cary on Friday in a non-conference doubleheader against fellow Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) foe Howard University beginning at Noon.
NCCU will be providing live stats for both contests. Fans can follow NCCU softball all season by visiting
NCCUEaglePride.com and on social media at
Facebook,
Twitter and
Instagram.
Game Info
Friday, Feb. 23
12:00 PM (DH) – Howard at NCCU |
STATS
N.C. Central Softball
The Eagles have lost their first six games on the road to four tough opponents that are a combined 24-13 record this season (Elon, Eastern Kentucky, Charleston Southern, Valparaiso). NCCU (0-6) went 13-30 last season, including a 7-8 mark in home games.
Senior transfer
Courtney Mirabella has made an immediate impact for the Eagles, both offensively and from the pitcher's circle. Mirabella (0-3) leads NCCU's staff with a 2.43 ERA and her 8.8 strikeouts per seven innings pitched leads the MEAC. From the plate, Mirabella is batting a team-best .313 with three stolen bases.
Sophomore third baseman
Ava Dolan has been the Eagles' power bat so far with two home runs and five RBI. She has also scored a team-high four runs. Freshman
Aiyana Campbell (.231) is the only other NCCU batter hitting over .200 for a squad that has a team average of just .178.
Junior
Claire Eosso (0-2, 6.56 ERA) and senior
Lauren Sitterson (0-1, 9.19 ERA) are the other two Eagles to see action on the rubber this season.
NCCU is playing Howard for the first time under second year head coach
Vashion Johnson. The two teams last split a doubleheader two seasons ago. Junior
Aleyah Evans went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in the 9-5 win for the Eagles.
Howard Softball
The Bison have won their last two games, defeating University of Maryland Eastern Shore and host North Carolina A&T State University in the Aggie Invitational last weekend. Howard (2-6) was picked to finish sixth out of seven teams in the MEAC Northern Division after finishing last season 4-34.
Sophomore third baseman Kamryn Tillman paces a Bison squad that is batting .291 as a team. Tillman boasts a .458 batting average with three doubles in eight games. A pair of freshmen have started all eight games and are hitting over .350 in catcher Breanna Robinson (.381) and outfielder Trinity Gibbs (.364). Robinson paces the Bison with seven runs and three stolen bases. Another freshman outfielder in Alyssa Lavine (.316) tops Howard with four extra base hits and 10 RBI.
The Bison pitchers have struggled to a 10.43 ERA. Junior Mackenzie Steele (1-1, 8.69 ERA) and freshman Desiree Renteria (1-3, 8.79) have tossed the majority of innings.
Senior Brooklyn Emory drove in two runs for Howard in a 10-4 game one win over NCCU two seasons ago.
