SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The North Carolina Central University softball team opened up its 2022 season with a pair of games at the Spartan Classic on Friday. The Eagles suffered a narrow 3-2 loss to University of Massachusetts and a 7-0 setback to host USC Upstate.
Freshman pitcher/second baseman
Jaden Davis was involved in a pitcher's duel in the first contest and then collected two hits in the second game to highlight play for the Eagles. Classmate
Jaidyn Hamby accounted for both of NCCU's runs on the day with her first collegiate home run.
NC Central (0-2) will conclude play in the Spartan Classic with two games on Saturday. The Eagles will first face Towson University at 11 a.m. before taking on UMass again at 3 p.m.
GAME ONE: UMass 3, NC Central 2
Both teams hit dramatic two-run home runs with two outs in the seventh inning, but it was a walk-off blast by fifth-year senior Amy Smith in the home half that lifted the Minutewomen the one-run victory.
Junior Jessie DiPasquale, who led UMass with 13 wins last season, limited the Eagles to just three hits and three walks in the complete-game victory. DiPasquale was one out away from the shutout before NCCU junior shortstop
Maegan Garrison drew a walk to extend the game.
Hamby then delivered her go-ahead homer to left-center on the first pitch she saw. Hamby's first long ball put the maroon and gray ahead 2-1.
With the lead, Davis was then trying to finish off a complete-game victory in her debut. She got the first two outs in the bottom of the seventh before senior Kristina Day kept UMass alive with a single up the middle, setting up the walk-off homer to center by Smith.
DiPasquale (1-0) finished with 10 strikeouts while Davis (0-1) fanned three.
Massachusetts (1-0) got all three of its runs on the long ball. Senior first baseman Kendra Allen broke a scoreless tie with two outs in the bottom of the third when she launched a solo home run over the center field fence.
Senior
Madison Mifsud collected a single for the Eagles, while Hamby accounted for the other two NCCU hits.
GAME TWO: USC Upstate 7, NC Central 0
The Spartans scored runs in four different innings, including a four spot in the bottom of the fourth, and rode the arm of sophomore transfer Alyssa Kelly to the seven-run triumph.
In her first performance at Upstate, Kelly (1-0) hurled a shutout with eight strikeouts. She allowed three hits and did not issue a walk. Kelly only faced the minimum 21 batters over her seven innings of work as the Eagles lost base runners to a tag out on an attempted advancement to third base, a double play and a caught stealing.
NCCU started the contest with back-to-back singles off the bats of junior
Diamond Porter and Davis, but Upstate a couple the Spartans erased both runners.
Davis added a second single in the fourth as she produced two of NCCU's three base knocks.
Offensively, senior first baseman Madison Lanoux accounted for three of Upstate's 10 hits. Junior designated player Peyton Darnell followed with two hits and two RBI.
