NORFOLK, Va. — A couple of MEAC All-Tournament team selections in senior
Joirea Dumas and freshman
Hailey Batista both hit solo home runs for the North Carolina Central University softball team, but Morgan State University scored seven runs in its last two innings to rally to win the 2021 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Softball Championship, 10-5, Saturday afternoon at the Norfolk State University Softball Field.
The Bears (24-15 Overall) win their first MEAC Softball Championship in program history and will advance to the 2021 NCAA Softball Regionals next weekend.
The runner-up finish in the MEAC Tournament is the Eagles best performance in the postseason event since joining the league in 2011-12. NCCU finishes its season with a 13-31 record.
The Eagles used the long ball to take a 2-nil advantage. Dumas ripped her league-best ninth home run over the centerfield fence just two batters into the game. Batista then blasted her solo shot towards the scoreboard beyond left field to begin the third inning.
Batista, who has three home runs on the season, drove in a team-best five RBI in the tournament. Dumas and freshman
Imara Harrell both hit safely in all four postseason games to join Batista on the MEAC All-Tournament Team.
Sophomore Melisa Paz put the Bears on the board and briefly provided Morgan State with its first lead by hitting a three-run home run to left in the bottom of the third. Paz has two home runs on the season, both against the Eagles.
Senior
Olivia Daniel belted a two-run single into the right field gap in the top of the fifth to push the Eagles back ahead, 4-3. Daniel's second double of the tournament scored senior
Nadia Blevins and freshman pinch runner
Jaden Musgrove.
Blevins finished the contest with two hits, a steal and a run scored. Daniel also had a pair of hits.
Morgan State was able to rally late and secure the victory by taking advantage of several NCCU errors that led to six unearned runs over the final two innings. The late surge was led by senior Aliya Ewell, who finished the game going 3 for 3 with a walk, three runs scored and a walk.
Senior
Kiara Hurley (9-18) kept NCCU in the contest on the way to earning MEAC All-Tournament honors for a second time. Only four of her 10 runs surrendered were earned.
Senior Stephanie Rundlett (12-7) was named the MEAC Championships Most Outstanding Player after earning the win in relief. She was MSU's winning pitcher in all three of their tournament victories.
Both teams finished with 10 hits.
2021 MEAC All-Tournament Selections for NCCU
Kiara Hurley, Sr., LHP
Joirea Dumas, Sr., 1B
Hailey Batista, Fr., C
Imara Harrell, Fr., CF
