CHARLESTON, S.C. — Junior first baseman Joirea Dumas hit her second home run of the season and drove in three runs on the day to pace the North Carolina Central University softball lineup in a pair of losses at the Charleston Invitational Saturday.
 
The Eagles lost its first game of the day to Army West Point, 12-1, and then their rally against co-host Charleston Southern University fell just short, 7-5, in the second game.
 
NC Central (0-7) will conclude play in the weekend event by playing other co-host College of Charleston on Sunday at 3:45 p.m.
 
GAME ONE: Army 12, NC Central 1
 
The Cadets, who only scored two runs over the first three innings, erupted for four runs in the fourth and six runs in the fifth to take the run-rule victory in five innings after tallying 15 total hits.
 
Army leveled its record at 7-7 with its second win of the day after topping Dartmouth College, 12-4, in the morning session.
 
Junior Ally Snelling had the Cadets top bat after driving in three runs on three hits.
 
NCCU only trailed 2-1 after three innings once senior Tamiera Sanchez drove in the lone Eagle run. Junior Jacobia Johnson started the bottom of the third with a walk before finally scoring on a double to left field by Sanchez.
 
Senior Tehillah Duffy had the only other maroon and gray hit with a two-out single in the fifth.
 
Senior starter Macey Newbary (2-1) accumulated nine of her needed 15 outs via the strikeout. NCCU junior counterpart Caroline Campbell (0-3) had three total strikeouts.
 
GAME TWO: Charleston Southern 7, NC Central 5
 
The Eagles trailed from the first inning, but a 3-for-3 performance by Dumas helped NCCU nearly comeback. Dumas had an RBI-single in the second, another single in the fourth and a two-run homer in the sixth.
 
Dumas leads NCCU with two home runs and five RBI.
 
It was an unearned run that allowed the Buccaneers to jump ahead in the first, but a couple home runs then helped CSU pull out to a 6-1 advantage.
 
The Eagles rallied to within one, 6-5, with four runs in the sixth. Junior Nadia Blevins and freshman Sanajae Sankey started the comeback attempt with consecutive singles and junior Olivia Daniel later drew a one-out walk, which was her second free pass of the contest. Dumas capped the frame with her two-run blast that cleared the fence in left-center field.
 
However, CSU then put in freshman relief pitcher Annah Junge and she was able to retire all four Eagles she faced over the next 1 1/3 innings for the save. Senior Holly Clark earned the win going the first 5 2/3 innings with seven K's.
 
Junior Kiara Hurley (0-4) tossed another complete game for NCCU and she had a trio of strikeouts in her six innings of work.
 
Charleston Southern (4-5) tallied its seven runs on 13 hits, including one insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Senior Mallory Kasinger, who hit a two-run home run in the third, knocked in three Bucs runs on two hits.