DURHAM, N.C. – Redshirt junior third baseman Maegan Garrison drove in six runs for host North Carolina Central University, but visiting Appalachian State University was able to sweep Wednesday's non-conference doubleheader at Parkwood Athletic Field by scores of 6-4 and 7-3.
 
Garrison hit a grand slam in the first game and then drove in two more runs in the nightcap with a seeing-eyed hit that skipped past the shortstop.
 
The Mountaineers, who were coming off a win last weekend against a nationally ranked team, improved to 18-10 on the season with their two pitchers combining for 24 strikeouts on the day.
 
NC Central (7-22 Overall, 5-0 MEAC) returns to league action this weekend with a three-game series at Delaware State University on Saturday-Sunday, April 1-2.
 
GAME ONE: App State 6, NC Central 4
 
The Mountaineers scored in each of the first four innings and then held on after Garrison ripped her grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning.
 
The Eagles brought up the potential game-tying run to bat in the bottom of the seventh, but junior Delani Buckner picked up her 10th strikeout of the contest to end the threat.
 
Buckner (4-3) gave up base hits to NCCU's first two hitters of the day in freshman Makiya Graves and sophomore Jaidyn Hamby, but then she settled down and did not give up a hit for the next four innings until Hamby singled again to start the maroon and gray rally.
 
Junior Imara Harrell followed Hamby with a hit and junior Ivory Jones was hit by a pitch to load up the bases before Garrison launched her grand slam over the fence in right-center field. Garrison has five homers on the season.
 
App State finished with a 9-5 hit edge with senior Taylor Thorp highlighting the lineup with two hits, including a home run, one walk and two RBI.
 
Hamby was the only NCCU player with multiple hits in the contest.
 
GAME TWO: App State 7, NC Central 3
 
Eight errors by the Eagles helped the Mountaineers rally and complete the sweep. Six of App State's seven runs were unearned including all five runs the visitors scored in the decisive fifth inning.
 
Garrison put the Eagles ahead, 2-nil, with her two-run single in the first inning. It was NCCU's only lead of the day. Garrison finished drove in six total runs in the twin bill to take over the team in RBI with 20 on the season.
 
All three NCCU runs were also unearned in a sloppy game. Junior starting pitcher Kaylie Northrop (7-3) pitched the complete-game victory without allowing an earned run while racking up 14 strikeouts.
 
Graves drove in the last run for the Eagles with a run-producing groundout in the home half of the fifth, but Northrop retired NCCU's next seven batters from that point to end any comeback attempt.
 
Freshman Takia Nichols, who was named the MEAC Rookie of the Week on Monday, had half of NCCU's four hits with a pair of singles.
 
Sophomore Jaden Davis (4-9) suffered the loss in the circle despite allowing just one earned run in the complete-game effort with six strikeouts.
 
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