CARY, N.C. — The North Carolina Central University softball team was held to four hits in dropping its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Southern Division opener to Florida A&M University at Thomas Brooks Park Friday evening.
 
Sophomore Ava Dolan collected two of the Lady Eagles' four hits.
 
The defending MEAC champions and preseason favorites doubled up NCCU, 8-4, in the hit column on the way to the three-run victory.
 
Senior Courtney Mirabella supplied NCCU with a quick 1-nil advantage. She drilled a double into the right-field gap and scored on a passed ball. Mirabella would have scored anyways as sophomore Ava Dolan ripped a deep double over the centerfielder moments later.
 
Senior starting pitcher Veronica Burse settled down for the Rattlers and held the Lady Eagles to just two more hits over the final six innings. Burse (4-11) had five strikeouts on her way to the complete-game victory.
 
FAMU was able to scratch out two runs in the fourth to take the lead. The frame was highlighted by an RBI-double off the bat of junior Mackenzie Woodard.
 
A couple opposite-side solo home runs to right-center by senior Toni Anderson and sophomore Jamesia Stoudemire added a pair of insurance run for the Rattlers in the fifth and seventh innings, respectively.
 
The Lady Eagles had leadoff singles in the fourth and sixth innings to start potential rallies, but both base runners were eliminated. Dolan picked up her second hit of the day to leadoff the fourth, but she was caught stealing. Sophomore Dalika Wallace tallied NCCU's fourth and final hit to start the sixth, but she was erased on a double play.
 
Mirabella (5-8) went 5 1/3 innings in the start for NCCU and had a game-high 11 strikeouts.
 
NCCU (6-13 Overall, 0-1 MEAC) and FAMU (8-20, 1-0) will conclude the three-game set with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 9 a.m.