Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Senior Courtney Mirabella tossed a pair of gems while juniors Claire Eosso and Aleyah Evans supplied the offense as the North Carolina Central University softball team swept host North Carolina A&T State University, 4-1 and 3-0, in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) action Saturday afternoon.
 
The Lady Eagles clinched one of the four Southern Division bids to the 2018 MEAC Softball Championship Tournament with the wins.
 
NCCU (16-24 Overall, 7-7 MEAC) will try and sweep the three-game series against North Carolina A&T (7-35, 4-10) when the two teams battle on Sunday at Noon. The Aggies were eliminated from postseason consideration.
 
GAME ONE: NC Central 4, N.C. A&T 1
 
Mirabella won her fourth straight start by limiting the Aggies to just one early run in the opener. She struck out nine batters on the way to the win.
 
The Lady Eagles were able to take advantage of five errors by the hosts to score three unearned runs. After both teams scored in the first, NCCU took the lead for good with its second unearned run in the second. The visitors tacked on two insurance runs in the fourth.
 
Eosso led the Lady Eagles with three singles and an RBI. Senior Lauren Sitterson had NCCU's only other RBI with a single in the first. Freshman Jessica Powell stole a pair of bases.
 
Junior pitcher Zadaisha Waddell drove in the lone Aggie run with a double in the first. Waddell (2-9) suffered the loss from the pitcher's circle despite only allowing one earned run.
 
GAME TWO: NC Central 3, N.C. A&T 0
 
Evans hit a two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning to break a late scoreless tie and give Mirabella all the run support she needed to win the nightcap for the Lady Eagles. Evans launched her go-ahead homer down the left field corner with two outs. Her third long ball of the season scored sophomore Ava Dolan, who hit safely in both contests. Evans drove in an insurance run with a bases-loaded single in the seventh to complete NCCU's scoring output.
 
Mirabella (15-14) nearly tossed her second no hitter in eight days, but a leadoff single in the sixth by junior Zadia Davis broke up the bid. Mirabella did not give up another hit as she recorded her league-leading eighth shutout.
 
The reigning MEAC Pitcher of the Week fanned nine batters for a fifth straight game (all wins).
 
Sitterson doubled in both the second and fourth innings, but NCCU stranded that runner both times as NCAT junior starting pitcher Mohagony Headen used three of her 10 strikeouts to end the maroon and gray threats and keep the contest a pitcher's duel until late.
 
Sitterson finished with three hits as NCCU outhit the Aggies, 10-1. Eosso added her fourth base knock of the day.