ORMOND BEACH, Fla. — No. 3 south-seeded North Carolina Central University scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to complete a dramatic 3-2 victory over No. 1 north-seeded Norfolk State University in an elimination game of the 2019 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Championship Thursday evening at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex.
 
The Lady Eagles improved to 23-25 on the season with their second elimination win of the day. NC Central will continue to try and make its way out of the elimination bracket with another showdown against No. 2 north-seeded Howard University on Friday at 3 p.m.
 
Trailing 2-nil heading into its final at bat, NCCU collected four hits and three walks in the home half of the seventh to pull off the comeback triumph.
 
Sophomore Jessica Powell started the frame with an infield single on an illegal pitch call, which was her third hit of the contest. Sophomore Caroline Campbell followed with a single up the middle and classmate Jacobia Johnson walked to fill the bases with no outs. Another base on balls drawn by senior pinch hitter Claire Eosso plated Powell for the first run. After the first out, sophomore Olivia Daniel ripped a deep single off the left-field wall to level the score. NCCU nearly won the game on the play with Johnson trying to score from second, but she was tagged out at the plate. However, junior Tamiera Sanchez drew another walk to reload the bases with two outs before freshman Madison Mifsud smacked the walk-off single down the third base line out, just inside the base and out of the reach of the fielder to score sophomore Nadia Blevins.
 
NCCU outhit the Spartans, 11-7. Johnson and Mifsud followed Powell's three-hit performance with two base knocks apiece. The Lady Eagles also left 10 runners on base with a lot of missed opportunities before the seventh.
 
Norfolk State was able to score its two runs in the top of the third. Freshman Lily Potter opened up the scoring with an RBI-single. Junior Shelby Deschamps, who had three hits for the favorites, scored the second run on an error.
 
Sophomore Skylar Swain and senior Hunter Halford were closing in on a combined shutout going back-and-forth in the pitcher's circle for the Spartans. However, they both struggled in the seventh inning with the starter Swain (9-7) getting saddled with the loss.
 
Sophomore Kiara Hurley earned her second complete-game victory of the day. Hurley (18-14) picked up her league-leading 18th win, allowing just one earned run over seven innings of work with three strikeouts.
 
Norfolk State ended its season at 25-20.