Softball Celebrates MEAC tourney win vs. Norfolk State
7
Winner N.C. Central NCCU 17-32
4
Norfolk St. NSU 24-22
Winner
N.C. Central NCCU
17-32
7
Final
4
Norfolk St. NSU
24-22
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
N.C. Central NCCU 1 0 0 0 1 5 0 7 9 2
Norfolk St. NSU 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 4 4 2

W: Eubanks, Ashanti (7-15) L: Cam Andersen (10-6)

Game Recap: Softball |

NCCU Advances to Winner’s Bracket Semifinals


DURHAM, N.C. – Eight different Eagles provided at least one run or one RBI as third-seeded North Carolina Central University pulled away late to defeat host and second-seeded Norfolk State University, 7-4, in the winner's bracket of the 2023 MEAC Softball Championship on Wednesday evening at the NSU Softball Field.
 
Sophomore Jaidyn Hamby drove in three runs and freshman Makiya Graves supplied two RBI and two runs scored for the victors. Sophomore pitcher Ashanti Eubanks tallied five strikeouts in the complete-game victory for the maroon and gray.
 
NC Central (17-32) will next play in the semifinals of the winner's bracket against fifth-seeded Coppin State University on Thursday at 6 p.m. The winner of that game will advance to the championship game(s) of the double-elimination tournament on Saturday. Norfolk State (24-22) will next play an elimination game on Thursday.
 
The Eagles broke free from a 2-2 tie with a five-run sixth inning. Sophomore Jaden Davis put NCCU ahead for good with a one-out home run. Her solo shot to left field was her first homer of the season and extended her hit streak to eight games.
 
The big frame also included run-producing singles off the bats of Graves, Hamby and freshman Takia Nichols. Hamby, who drove in NCCU's first run in the top of the first, added a two-run single in the sixth to cap her three-RBI performance.
 
Graves, who scored in the first and sixth innings, drove in the first of her two RBI with a double in the fifth that gave the Eagles a 2-nil edge. However, the Spartans hit a two-run homer in home half of that frame to level the score. However, NCCU quickly answered with its decisive five-run sixth inning.
 
NSU hit a second two-run home in the sixth to close the deficit to three runs, but Eubanks retired the final four batters she faced from that point to secure the triumph.
 
The Eagles outhit the Spartans 10-4 with Graves, Eubanks and junior Ivory Jones all hitting safely twice apiece.
 
For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com, or download the NCCU Eagles Athletics app.
 
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