NORFOLK, Va. – The North Carolina Central University softball team was held to just four hits in both of ends of Friday's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference doubleheader as host Norfolk State University prevailed by scores of 5-2 and 3-1.
The Spartans improved to 26-15 on the season and 11-3 in the league while the Eagles slipped to 9-27 and 3-5.
NC Central will conclude its series at Norfolk State with a single game on Saturday beginning at noon.
GAME ONE: Norfolk State 5, NC Central 2
Sophomore
Hailey Batista hit her third home run in NCCU's last two games to breakup Norfolk State's shutout bid in the sixth inning, but the Spartans kept the Eagles off the board from that point to secure the opening win that was televised on ESPNU.
Batista moved into a tie for the league lead in home runs with sophomore teammate
Jaylah Barr by launching her two-run homer over the center field fence. Batista and Barr each have seven home runs on the season.
The Spartans scored their first two runs in the third inning with two singles and three walks. NSU tallied its last three runs in the fifth inning, which featured a single, a double and a triple.
Freshman Kenna Higa led the victors with two hits, two RBI and one run scored.
GAME TWO: Norfolk State 3, NC Central 1
Freshman
Ashanti Eubanks drove in NCCU's lone unearned run with an RBI-single in the fifth inning to pull the Eagles within one run, but Norfolk State added an insurance run in the sixth inning on the way to securing the nightcap triumph.
Eubanks had two of NCCU's four hits.
Higa scored two more times to highlight play for the Spartans, including a solo home run in the third inning.
