DURHAM, N.C. — A solo home run by senior Joirea Dumas provided the North Carolina Central University softball team with the initial lead, but a game-ending RBI double by junior Ayana Sallee rallied Howard University to a 2-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) win in the opening game of the MEAC North/South Round-Up at Orangeburg Recreational Park Friday afternoon.
 
Dumas wrapped her go-ahead home run around the left-field foul pole to lead-off the top of the fourth inning. It would be NCCU's only hit off Howard senior starting pitcher Kiana Carr.
 
Her fourth round tripper run of the season moves Dumas into a six-way tie for the home run lead in the conference.
 
The Bison leveled the score in the home half of the fourth on back-to-back doubles off the bats of sophomores Luz Aguilasocho and Raye Thomas. Howard nearly went ahead on a third consecutive hit, but Thomas was gunned down at home plate by NCCU senior right fielder Nadia Blevins.
 
The showdown remained deadlocked at 1-1 until one out in the bottom of the seventh. Junior Camille Navarro ripped her third single of the contest and then scored from first on an ensuing double into the left-field gap by Sallee to end the close contest.
 
Howard finished with a 10-1 hit advantage as Carr recorded her league-leading eighth win of the season. Carr (8-4) registered eight strikeouts.  
 
NCCU senior starter Kiara Hurley kept the Eagles in the contest, before suffering the loss in the seventh inning. Hurley (2-14) wiggled out of numerous dangerous situations as the Bison stranded eight runners on base.
 
Howard leveled its overall record to 12-12 while improving its conference mark to 5-8.
 
NC Central (5-24, 3-2) will play two more games at the MEAC North/South Round-Up on Saturday, beginning with Delaware State University at 11 a.m. before battling Coppin State University at 1:30 p.m.