NORFOLK, Va. – Junior Jai'lyn Edwards and senior Hailey Batista each produced three hits for the North Carolina Central University softball team in a 3-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference road win at Norfolk State University that was contested early on Friday.
 
The Eagles completed the series sweep after doubling up the Spartans, 12-6, in the hit column. Edwards and Batista accounted for half of those hits.
 
Edwards supplied NCCU's only extra-base hit with a double to jumpstart a critical three-run fifth inning. Two batters later, Edwards scored the game-tying run on an RBI-single by senior Jaylah Barr.
 
The Eagles had five total hits in the decisive stanza that also featured a go-ahead single off the bat of sophomore Makiya Graves and a critical insurance run driven in on an infield single by Batista.
 
Junior Rylie Gilbreath hit a solo homer to begin the home half of the fifth to pull the Spartans within one run, but NCCU junior starting pitcher Ashanti Eubanks kept Norfolk State (2-29, 1-5) off the board from that point to earn the complete-game victory. Eubanks (3-7) posted a season-high seven strikeouts over her seven innings of work.
 
Barr extended her hit streak to five consecutive games while freshman leadoff hitter Tyler Suttles has now reached base safely in nine straight contests after singling down the left-field line in the sixth inning. Senior Imara Harrell chipped in two singles and one walk.
 
NC Central (8-21, 4-2) will next play a non-conference doubleheader at Campbell University (Buies Creek, N.C.) on Tuesday beginning at 4 p.m.
 
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