DURHAM, N.C. — The North Carolina Central University softball team will play a three-game weekend series at Elon University with the Eagles scheduled for a single game against the Phoenix on Saturday, March 13 at 4:30 p.m., before concluding the series with a doubleheader at the Hunt Softball Park on Sunday, March 14 that will begin at noon.
GAME INFO:
DATE: Saturday, March 13 (4:30 PM) & Sunday, March 14 (12 PM/DH)
LOCATION: Hunt Softball Park, Elon, N.C.
VIDEO:
Elon Phoenix YouTube Channel
FOLLOW:
LIVE STATS;
@NCCUAthletics
NC CENTRAL DUGOUT:
The Eagles were swept in their last appearance, falling 8-0 and 17-0 to Appalachian State University on Sunday, March 7. NCCU (0-12) is still in search of its first win after being shutout eight times.
Seniors
Joirea Dumas and
Nadia Blevins are the only two Eagles to have started every game this season. Dumas, who plays first base, leads NCCU with a .259 batting average and .375 on-base percentage with five walks. Blevins, who patrols center field, got two hits against the Mountaineers to improve her average to .143. Senior catcher
Madison Mifsud (.222) and freshman third baseman/catcher
Hailey Batista (.208) are the only other two Eagles to have played in every contest. Dumas and Batista have NCCU's two home runs. Freshman outfielder
Imara Harrell (.118) leads NCCU with four stolen bases.
In the pitcher's circle, senior
Kiara Hurley (0-8) leads the Eagles with a 5.43 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 47.2 innings pitched. Senior
Caroline Campbell (0-1, 9.10 ERA) and freshman
Jaylah Barr (0-3, 14.85 ERA) have split the other innings for the Eagles.
ELON DUGOUT:
The Phoenix are coming off their first home loss of the season, a 13-3 setback to UNCG on Wednesday. Elon (3-7 Overall) is picked to finish second in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) South Division.
Junior outfielder Rebecca Murray has twice as many hits than any other player on the team to pace the Phoenix. Murray has hit safely in nine of her first 10 games to lead Elon with 13 hits and a .406 average. Murray, who led the Phoenix in stolen bases last season, does not have a steal this season.
Freshman corner infielder Grace Kiser sports a .313 average and leads Elon as a rookie with three home runs, nine RBI and six runs scored. Sophomore Megan Grant (.185) follows with seven RBI; freshman Gabi Schaal (.300) is a third Phoenix bat hitting .300 or better; and fellow freshman MeKayla Frazier (.294) has a team-best two stolen bases.
Graduate student Kenna Quinn has all three of Elon's pitching wins. Quinn (3-3) leads the Phoenix in nearly every pitching category for a second straight season with a 3.23 ERA and 10 strikeouts. In her last appearance, she tossed an eight-inning, complete-game shutout against the University of Connecticut.
SERIES:
The Phoenix are 12-0 against NCCU over the last decade, but the two teams will be competing against each other for the first time since the 2018 season. Elon squeaked out a pair of 5-4 victories against the Eagles in their last meeting, including a 10-inning thriller to begin that doubleheader.
