Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
CARY, N.C. — Senior Courtney Mirabella recorded 20 strikeouts on the way to a pair of complete-game victories for the North Carolina Central University softball team as the Eagles defeated visiting Howard University, 4-1 and 8-0 (5), on Friday afternoon at Thomas Brooks Park.
 
Mirabella (2-3) held the Bison to just three hits on the day over 12 innings of work. 
 
Sophomore Ava Dolan was perfect from the plate for the maroon and gray. Dolan was 4-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, two runs, a walk and a sacrifice bunt. Freshman Jacobia Johnson added three infield singles while Mirabella and freshman Jessica Powell each hit safely in both ends of the twin bill.
 
NCCU (2-6) next plays in the Red and Black Tournament hosted by Gardner-Webb University on Friday-Saturday, March 2-3. Howard slipped to 2-8.
 
GAME ONE: N.C. Central 4, Howard 1
 
Mirabella was two outs away from tossing a no hitter when junior Jasmine Gibson roped a clean double into the right-field gap with one out in the seventh. Mirabella dominated Howard with 13 strikeouts, but she found herself in a pitcher's duel for most of the contest with junior Mackenzie Steele.
 
Dolan tripled to start the bottom of the second and later scored on a groundout by sophomore Dalika Wallace, but the Bison were able to quickly tie the score in the top of the third without a hit. The Bison loaded the bases by drawing three walks and scored on a potential double-play ball that the Eagles did not complete at first.
 
The score remained deadlocked at 1-all until a costly Howard error allowed NCCU to score three unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth. With the go-ahead runner on third base, the Bison got an infield popup that should have gotten them out of the jam. However, it was dropped by the first baseman and pinch runner Zakiya Smith scored. After another error. Evan added a couple NCCU insurance runs by tagging a two-run double to left.
 
It was plenty of run support for Mirabella, who struck out four Bison in the seventh (one reaching on a throwing error on a dropped third strike) to complete the three-run triumph.
 
Dolan had two of the Eagles seven hits.
 
GAME TWO: N.C. Central 8, Howard 8
 
The NCCU batters were very productive in supply Mirabella with plenty of run support in the eight-run rule victory in the nightcap. The Eagles scored their eight runs on just eight hits.
 
NCCU wasted little time to get on the board as three walks in the first led to an RBI-groundout by senior Lauren Sitterson. The Eagles tacked on five more runs in the second that featured a solo home run by junior Aleyah Evans, a sac fly by freshman Kaitlyn Macon, a run-producing single by Mirabella and a two-run blast by Dolan.
 
Dolan leads NCCU with three home runs, eight RBI and six runs scored. The solo shot was the first of the season for Evans. Dolan's tacked on RBI single in the fourth extended the hosts advantage to the desired eight runs.
 
Johnson was 2-for-2 with two runs scored and Powell crossed home from the leadoff position twice.
 
Mirabella supplied seven more strikeouts over her final five innings on the day. She only allowed two hits and two walks over that span for her first shutout at NCCU.