CARY, N.C. — After being shutout in game one, sophomore designated player Olivia Daniel hit a grand slam to start a seven-run explosion for host North Carolina Central University in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Southern Division doubleheader split with Bethune-Cookman University Monday afternoon at Thomas Brooks Park.
 
The Wildcats (16-26 Overall, 7-1 MEAC) rolled to a 10-0 win in the first game. The Lady Eagles (14-22, 4-4) bounced back with the 7-2 victory in the nightcap to hand the 2018 MEAC champions their first league loss.
 
Daniels finished the day with four hits and five RBI.
 
The two teams will play the rubber game of the series on Tuesday at 11 a.m.
 
GAME ONE: Bethune-Cookman 10, NC Central 0 (Five Innings)
 
Bethune-Cookman plated 10 runs, despite only having four hits, in coasting to the shutout. The Wildcats drew six base on balls and all six walks resulted in runs.
 
Sophomore pitcher Alexis Bermudez – the reigning MEAC Rookie of the Year – held NCCU to just a pair of singles on her way to her fifth shutout of the season. Bermudez recorded four strikeouts and only issued one walk over five innings on her way to improving to 9-16 on the year.
 
Daniel tallied both of NCCU's hits. She singled to center to leadoff the second and then added an infield base knock with one out in the fourth. Daniel was stranded on base both times.
 
BCU scored five runs in both the third and fourth innings. Junior cleanup hitter Kaiya Epps-Lee paced the Wildcats offensively with three RBI, including a two-run single in the third.
 
GAME TWO: NC Central 7, Bethune-Cookman 2
 
Daniel launched her grand slam just out of the reach of the outstretched arm of the left fielder to put the Lady Eagles on top for good in the third.
 
Daniel, who drove in five of NCCU's six runs after adding an RBI-single in the fourth, finished the day with four hits and five RBI.
 
The Wildcats took the initial 2-nil edge with a pair of runs on another single by Epps-Lee in the top of the third. Epps-Lee matched Daniel with five RBI on the afternoon.
 
After being shutout for seven innings, NCCU finally got on the board in the third inning. Sophomore Jacobia Johnson, who reached base three times on the day, started the frame with a walk. Classmate Nadia Blevins followed with the second of her three hits in the contest before a walk drawn by junior Dalika Wallace. Daniel cleared the bases with her fourth home run just moments later.
 
Junior Tamiera Sanchez also had two hits for the Eagles as NCCU racked up 10 total hits. She scored the fifth Eagle run of the third on a double down the left field line by Aleyah Evans. Johnson singled and later scored NCCU's final run in the sixth.
 
Senior starting pitcher Claire Eosso (3-6) notched the complete-game victory. Eosso fanned two Wildcats and scattered eight hits over seven innings for the quality start.