CARY, N.C. — Reigning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Player of the Week Dalika Wallace hit her third home run of the season to highlight play for host North Carolina Central University in 8-0 and 15-4 non-conference doubleheader loss to Gardner-Webb University on a rainy Wednesday afternoon at Thomas Brooks Park.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs accumulated 25 total hits, including four home runs, to complete the sweep and improve to 17-9 on the year.
 
Wallace was 2-for-3 on the day with two walks and has now reached base in 12 straight games. Sophomore Jacobia Johnson also had a strong day for the Lady Eagles, reaching base five times after going 2-for-3 with three walks.
 
NC Central (9-15) next begins MEAC Southern Division play with a three-game weekend series at Florida A&M University on Saturday-Sunday.
 
GAME ONE: Gardner-Webb 8, NC Central 0
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs used the long ball to pull away for the run-rule victory in five innings. Gardner-Webb scored all eight of its runs on a trio of home runs.
 
Senior Kaylee Wacaster put the visitors ahead just three batters into the contest, blasting a three-run homer to straightaway center. A solo blast by freshman Autumn Owen, her team-high seventh round tripper of the season, down the left field line extended the Runnin' Bulldog advantage to 4-nil in the third. Senior Annamarie Warley finished off GWU's scoring with a grand slam to left-center in the fourth.
 
Sophomore starting pitcher Brooke Perry managed to complete her third shutout of the season. The Lady Eagles had chances to score by putting runners on base in three different innings, but Perry (10-5) wiggled out of each jam. Perry recorded five strikeouts.
 
NCCU's best chance of scoring was on a towering fly ball by freshman Madison Mifsud in the third. She just missed hitting her first collegiate home run as the ball high off the left field fence. Mifsud had to settle for a long single as the base runner on first had to make sure the ball was not going to be caught before advancing to second. The Lady Eagles loaded the bases in that frame, but a popup ended the threat.
 
Johnson reached base in all three of her plate appearances atop NCCU's lineup, producing a pair of singles around a walk.
 
Sophomore pitcher Kiara Hurley (8-8) matched Perry with five strikeouts for the Lady Eagles, but she suffered the loss after giving up all three homers.
 
GAME TWO: Gardner-Webb 15, NC Central 4

Wallace's third home run of the season pulled NCCU to within three run, 6-3, in the bottom of the third, but the Runnin' Bulldogs pulled away to the 11-run victory with three runs in the fourth and six more runs in the fifth.
 
Wacaster and Owen were for a perfect 4-for-4 from the plate for the victors. Wacaster scored all four times while providing three RBI. Owen knocked in four runs. Perry added three walks and a walk, including becoming the fourth Gardner-Webb player to hit a home run on the day when she launched a two-run shot to left in the third.
 
Sophomore Olivia Daniel had three of NCCU's six hits, singling in the first, third and fifth innings. Her base hit to center in the opening frame knocked in NCCU's first run and scored in the third inning on Wallace's homer. Classmate Nadia Blevins stole a pair of bases to increase her team-high theft total to 13.