CARY, N.C. – Sophomore
Hailey Batista provided the North Carolina Central University softball team with an RBI-double in both ends of Saturday's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) doubleheader loss to Howard University at Thomas Brooks Park.
The Bison held off the Eagles, 4-3, in the opener and then exploded for 13 runs in the final two innings of the nightcap to pull away to a 19-3 victory in the nightcap. Thirteen of Howard's 25 runs on the day were unearned as NCCU committed nine errors.
The Eagles (9-22, 6-5) and Bison (16-19, 7-3) will conclude the three-game series on Sunday at noon.
GAME ONE: Howard 4, NC Central 3
The Eagles loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh in an attempt to rally from a late three-run deficit, but with the potential game-tying and game-winning runners on base Howard freshman pitcher Mia Gonzales came up with a strikeout to end the close contest.
Trailing 4-1, freshman
Jaidyn Hamby and
Ashanti Eubanks drew back-to-back, two-out walks to pull the maroon and gray within one run.
Gonzales, who started the game, returned to circle after the RBI bases on balls by Hamby and Eubanks, and she was able to come up with K to earn her second save of the season.
Senior Kalita Dennis led the Bison with two runs and two RBI. Dennis capped Howard's scoring with a solo home run to straightaway center field to lead-off the top of the seventh. Her fourth homer of the season proved to be an important needed insurance run.
Five different Eagles had hits, including Batista's double into the right-field gap that drove in NCCU's first run to leveled the score early at 1-1.
GAME TWO: Howard 19, NC Central 3
Howard scored in all six innings to complete the sweep of the doubleheader, capped by nine unearned runs in the top of the sixth inning. Dennis added four more RBI, driving in six total runs on the day. Senior Alyssa Vasquez collected four hits for the victors. Vasquez joined classmate Xzarria Simmons with three RBI and two runs scored in the contest.
Freshman
Jai'lyn Edwards accounted for two of NCCU's four hits, including a double, while also scoring twice. Batista registered her second run-scoring double of the day, belting her two-base hit to the centerfield wall to put the Eagles on the board in the third inning. Freshman
Jaden Davis plated NCCU's other two runs in the fourth with a two-run single.
Edwards, Batista and Davis hit safely in both ends of the twin bill with Davis extending her hit streak to nine games.
