Ivory Jones
Kevin L. Dorsey
3
Winner Norfolk St. NSU 19-16, 9-4 MEAC
1
N.C. Central NCCU 12-25, 10-2 MEAC
Winner
Norfolk St. NSU
19-16, 9-4 MEAC
3
Final
1
N.C. Central NCCU
12-25, 10-2 MEAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Norfolk St. NSU 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 3 6 2
N.C. Central NCCU 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 1

W: Cam Andersen (8-4) L: Davis, Jaden (7-11)

3
Norfolk St. NSU 19-17, 9-5 MEAC
4
Winner N.C. Central NCCU 13-25, 11-2 MEAC
Norfolk St. NSU
19-17, 9-5 MEAC
3
Final
4
N.C. Central NCCU
13-25, 11-2 MEAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Norfolk St. NSU 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 3 3 3
N.C. Central NCCU 0 0 0 3 1 0 X 4 6 0

W: Eubanks, Ashanti (5-10) L: Lauren Sheehan (2-2)

Game Recap: Softball |

NCCU Moves into First Place with Sunday Split


CARY, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University softball team held off Norfolk State University, 4-3, in the nightcap of Sunday's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference doubleheader to end the weekend in sole possession of first place in the league standings with two weeks left in the regular season.
 
The Spartans squeaked out a 3-1 win in the first game as two of the top three teams in the league split the twin bill. NCCU (13-25 Overall, 12-2) sits atop the MEAC standing after securing the triumph in the second game coupled with a pair of Morgan State University losses over the weekend. Norfolk State (19-17, 9-5) depart town maintaining its third -place spot in the conference standing.
 
NC Central is next scheduled to play a single non-conference game at East Carolina University on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
 
GAME ONE: Norfolk State 3, NC Central 1
 
Junior Jaylah Barr knocked in a run in the first inning to provide NCCU with an early 1-nil advantage. It proved to be the only run of the contest as the Eagles left five runners on base over the first three innings. NCCU loaded up the bases with no outs in the top of the third inning, but NSU starting pitcher Cam Andersen (8-4) struck out the next three batters before the Spartans rallied. Anderson finished with nine strikeouts in the complete-game triumph.
 
Norfolk State then capitalized with the final three runs. Sophomore Kenna Higa, who was the Co-MEAC Rookie of the Year last season, leveled the score with her fifth home run of the season. Her solo shot down the right-field knotted the score in the top of the fourth inning. The Spartans then used a two-out rally in the sixth inning with three consecutive seeing-eyed singles through the infield to score the go-ahead and insurance runs.
 
Freshman Makiya Graves accounted for three of NCCU's six hits with a trio of singles atop of the maroon and gray order. Graves also scored the only run for the maroon and gray on the RBI by Barr.
 
GAME TWO: NC Central 4, Norfolk State 3
 
The Eagles used a trio of infield singles, one walk and a few throwing mistakes by the Spartans to plate the first three runs of the contest in the bottom of the fourth inning. Barr had the only RBI of the frame for her second RBI of the day and NCCU remained in front from that point.
 
Senior pinch hitter Gabby Vaughan pulled Norfolk State within one run with a two-run homer in the top of the fifth inning. Her team-high sixth long ball of the campaign made the score 3-2.
 
Junior Imara Harrell scored for a second straight inning in the home half of fifth to provide NCCU with what proved to be a very important insurance run.
 
The Spartans once again pulled within one run by scoring a run in the top of the seventh, but with the potential tying run on third base NCCU sophomore starting pitcher Ashanti Eubanks got a popup to end the threat. Eubanks (5-10) only allowed three hits and she accumulated four strikeouts in the complete-game victory.
 
Harrell was the only Eagle with two hits to match her two runs scored.
For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com, or download the NCCU Eagles Athletics app.
 
Print Friendly Version