NORFOLK, Va. — For the second time this season, North Carolina Central University senior Kiara Hurley was named MEAC Co-Pitcher of the Week and freshman Imara Harrell was named MEAC Rookie of the Week as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference announced its weekly softball awards on Tuesday, April 27.
 
The strong play of Hurley and Harrell helped the Eagles win a three-game weekend series over rival North Carolina A&T State University.
 
Hurley posted a 2-0 record with a stingy 0.78 ERA and 11 strikeouts over 18 innings of work. The only two earned runs she allowed all week was in her first inning of work. She then hurled 17 consecutive innings without allowing another earned run.
 
In the opener, Hurley tossed a complete-game victory as NCCU won 3-2 on a walk-off, two-run single by senior K'Lea Parks. Hurley then tossed 11 innings of relief in Sunday's doubleheader without allowing an earned run. In the finale, Hurley went 6 1/3 innings, giving the Eagles an opportunity to rally for another walk-off win, this time 6-5 on a two-run single by senior Joirea Dumas.
 
Hurley, who hails from Maumee, Ohio, leads the maroon and gray with four wins and two saves on the season. She has earned MEAC Pitcher of the Week twice this season and four times in her time at NCCU.
 
Harrell garnered MEAC Rookie of the Week laurels after pacing the Eagles with a .444 average on the week, hitting safely in all three games and collecting a pair of extra-base hits.
 
After falling behind by four runs in the rubber game of the series, Harrell sparked NCCU's rally with her first collegiate home run. Harrell launched her two-run homer over the left field fence to pull the Eagles within one run and NCCU was able to complete the comeback in the 10th inning.
 
The rookie from Mooresville, North Carolina, leads the Eagles with eight stolen bases and ranks second on the team with a .306 batting average and 12 runs scored.
 
NCCU will conclude its regular season with a four-game MEAC weekend series at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, South Carolina, on Saturday-Sunday, May 1-2. The Eagles need at least two victories in that series to clinch a playoff spot in the MEAC Softball Championships (top two teams from each division is based upon win percentage instead of total league wins).