CARY, N.C. — The North Carolina Central University softball team outscored visiting University of Maryland Eastern Shore by a 14-1 margin in coasting to an 8-0 and 6-1 doubleheader sweep on Saturday afternoon at Thomas Brooks Park.
Sophomore shortstop
Jessica Powell led the Lady Eagles with four hits, including a double and a triple, and three RBI. NCCU won Friday's opener to win the three-game set and improve to 9-13 on the season. Eastern Shore departs town at 1-12.
NC Central next hosts Gardner-Webb University in a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday at 1 p.m.
GAME ONE: NC Central 8, Eastern Shore 0
The Lady Eagles scored four runs in both the first and third innings in breezing to the run-rule victory. NCCU belted out 11 total hits in the opener.
NCCU got hits from its first four batters of the game in the bottom of the first and they all scored to put the hosts up quickly 4-nil. Sophomore
Jacobia Johnson singled to center to start the opening surge. Powell knocked Johnson in with a triple that landed just inside the left-field line and she immediately scored on a hit through the right side of the infield by freshman
Madison Mifsud. Sophomore
Olivia Daniel followed with her own seeing-eyed single in nearly the same spot as Mifsud's base knock. Mifsud and Daniel then scored the final two runs of the inning on a single by senior
Aleyah Evans.
Evans and sophomore
Kaitlyn Macon each drove in two runs to highlight NCCU's four-run third. Evans knocked in a pair with a double down the left field line as she finished the contest with three RBI. Macon knocked in the other two runs with a single to center.
Powell, Daniel and Evans all had two base hits for the victors.
Senior pitcher
Claire Eosso (1-3) secured her first win of the season with three innings of scoreless relief. She only allowed three singles over the course of her winning performance without issuing a walk.
Eastern Shore nearly extended the contest in the top of the fifth. With one out and sophomore Stephanie Huff on second base, senior Daeshia Jones ripped a long fly ball to left field. However, Evans made a diving catch towards the fence for the second out. Huff attempted to score from second base on the play and looked to have scored, but after NCCU appealed the play she was called out for leaving the base early on the tag-up play to end the game.
GAME TWO: NC Central 6, Eastern Shore 1
In a much tighter nightcap, NCCU exploded for four runs in the sixth inning to pull away in a battle start started as a pitcher's duel.
Sophomore
Kiara Hurley outlasted sophomore Nasya Goodman in a battle of southpaws. Hurley (8-7) moved over .500 on the season by allowing just one run while strikeout out seven Hawks. Goodman (1-7) suffered the loss despite all six runs allowed being unearned because of two costly Eastern Shore errors.
The Lady Eagles grabbed the lead early with two runs in the second. Senior
Miriam Duen capped the early scoring with an RBI-double.
NCCU maintained a narrow 2-0 edge until two consecutive hits off the bats of Johnson and Powell broke the game open. Johnson first poked a two-run single to left and Powell followed with a two-run double down the left field line.
The Lady Eagles scored their six runs on just six hits. Powell led the way hitting safely twice. Junior
Tamiera Sanchez scored on two occasions.
Hurley was one out away from her second shutout of the season when three consecutive two-out singles led to the only Hawks run of the day. Freshman Anissa Derifield led the visitors going 2 for 2 with a walk and the only run scored.
