ACWORTH, Ga. — Senior Courtney Mirabella backed up a 20-strikeout performance with a one-hit gem in leading the North Carolina Central University softball team to a pair of wins over University of Maryland Eastern Shore (4-0) and Southern University (3-0) on the first day of the HBCU Softball Tournament at Patriots Park Saturday.
 
Mirabella (5-5) recorded her second and third shutouts of the year with 34 combined K's. The ace has lowered her season ERA to 1.54 on the season after tossing 14 consecutive shutout innings and recording 33 of the opposing teams' 42 outs via the strikeout.
 
NCCU (6-8 Overall) has won six of its last eight games and is scheduled to play two more games at the HBCU Tourney on Sunday against Maryland Eastern Shore (2:30 PM) and Alabama State University (4 PM). The schedule is subject to change due to potential weather and fans are encouraged to visit NCCUEaglePride.com for updates.
 
GAME ONE: N.C. Central 4, Maryland Eastern Shore 0
 
Mirabella hurled 20 strikeouts against the Hawks, which was one strikeout shy of the NCAA Division I record for a regulation seven-inning game (21 strikeouts by Michele Granger, California vs. Creighton, March 22, 1991).
 
Eastern Shore did have four total hits in the contest and had two runners in scoring position with less than two outs in both the first and second innings, but both times Mirabella wiggled out of each jam by fanning a few Hawks to set the tone for the rest of the game.
 
Mirabella settled down and recorded a dozen straight K's at one point from the second to fifth innings. The first 17 Shore outs were all strikeouts while 18 of the 20 total K's were failed swinging attempts.
 
Freshman starter Nasya Goodman (0-5) held NCCU's offense at bay early, allowing just three singles over the first five innings. However, the Eagles' offense heated up in the sixth withthe first six batters all reaching safely.
 
Freshman Kaitlyn Macon and sophomore Ava Dolan started the surge with a pair of hits. Junior Aleyah Evans then plated the two runners with a single to centerfield. Sophomore Dalika Wallace followed with the fourth consecutive single and a base on ball drawn by freshman Aiyana Campbell loaded the bases. Senior Fallon Roberson knocked in Evans with a hit to center and junior Miriam Duen sent Wallace home with a fielder's choice RBI.
 
The top eight hitters in NCCU's lineup all hit safely as the Eagles doubled up the Hawks, 8-4, in the hit column.
 
Junior Mackenzie Brown had half of Eastern Shore's four base knocks. The Hawks remained winless on the season at 0-10.
 
GAME TWO: N.C. Central 3, Southern 0
 
A leadoff bunt single to second base by senior Jamani Greer in the bottom of the fifth was the only hit for Southern in Mirabella's one-hit masterpiece. Mirabella struck out 14 Jaguars and had a perfect game going through four innings before Greer used her speed to reach first safely.
 
Greer was eliminated on an ensuing double play and Mirabella only faced one batter over the minimum (a leadoff walk she allowed in the seventh). The triumph was the second one-hitter tossed by the Bradenton, Florida, product (Mirabella allowed one hit in a 4-1 complete-game victory over Howard University on Feb. 23).
 
NCCU was once again slow providing Mirabella run support as Southern sophomore Scarlett Brock held the Eagles to just one hit over the first five innings, which was a double by Dolan in the fourth.
 
A fielding error led to the first two maroon and gray runs in the sixth. Handing Brock (1-1) the loss without giving up an earned run in 5 2/3 innings of work. Macon put the Eagles on the board with single to center. Macon alertly advanced all the way to third base on the play as pinch runner Zakiya Smith slid into home on a close play at the plate. Macon was then able to score easily on Dolan's team-leading 16th RBI, a single up the middle of the infield, to double up the lead.
 
Evans added an insurance run for NCCU in the seventh. She started the frame with a single and scored on an infield single by Roberson.
 
Dolan finished the day with three hits to extend her hit streak to eight games. Macon, Evans, Roberson and freshman Kelsey Locklear joined Dolan with a hit in both games Saturday.
 
Southern dipped to 4-7.