BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Freshman Makiya Graves hit safely in both games of Saturday's doubleheader to extend her team-best hit streak to five games, but the North Carolina Central University softball team lost both games by scores of 7-2 and 8-1 to host Gardner-Webb University.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs outhit the Eagles by a 21-7 margin in completing the sweep of the twin bill. NCCU was held without an extra-base hit on the day.
 
Junior Imara Harrell was the only other NCCU player to hit safely in both contests.
 
Gardner-Webb (9-16) scored three runs in each of the first two innings of the opening game and road that early outburst to the five-run victory. The Runnin' Bulldogs then used a five-run third inning in the nightcap to complete the sweep.
 
Freshman Taylor Perry (5 RBI) and senior Andrea Lyon (4 RBI) drove in a combined nine runs for GWU while freshman Annick McLaughlin led all players with four hits. McLaughlin scored four times while graduate student Kasey Fava touched home plate five times.
 
Graves highlighted play for the Eagles in the first contest, totaling one hit, one walk, one RBI and one run scored. Junior Morgan Green scored NCCU's lone run in the second game, drawing the first of her two walks in the contest and then later scoring on a wild pitch.
 
NC Central will try and salvage one game against Gardner-Webb when the two teams conclude the three-game series with the series finale on Sunday beginning at noon.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs used three pitchers on the day and they recorded 17 strikeouts.
 
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