Box Score NORFOLK, Va. – Senior shortstop Jaylah Barr drilled an early three-run home run and junior pitcher Jaden Davis made those runs hold up as fourth-seeded North Carolina Central University softball team knocked off top-seeded Morgan State University, 3-1, on the first day of the 2024 MEAC Softball Championship hosted by Norfolk State University.
 
The victory was the second of the day for the defending champion Eagles, who started the four-day, double-elimination tournament with a 1-0 triumph over South Carolina State University on Wednesday morning. 
 
NCCU (20-34 Overall) will next play on Thursday at 6 p.m., against the winner of the second-seeded Howard University versus third-seeded Coppin State University game that is scheduled for Wednesday at 6 p.m. The winner of Thursday's winners bracket semifinal featuring the Eagles will advance to Saturday's championship game(s). The loser will have to play in elimination game(s) on Friday for a second chance to make it to the title contest(s).
 
Barr launched her go-ahead homer over the left-field fence just four batters into the game. Barr's sixth home run of the season plated the freshmen duo of Tyler Suttles and Kendall Smith, who started the contest with back-to-back singles.
 
The Eagles outhit the regular season champs, 10-8, with seven different batters recording a hit. Senior Imara Harrell led the way with three hits, including a single, double and a triple. Fellow senior Ivory Jones totaled two singles.
 
Davis, who hurled a one-hit shutout against SCSU earlier in the day, tossed all seven innings against the Bears for her second pitching win of the day. Davis (12-17) scattered eight hits and was clutch throughout the minor upset as Morgan State left 10 runners stranded on base.
 
The Eagles defeated the MEAC Player of the Year Victoria Fletcher, who was charged with all three runs on Barr's homer in the opening frame. Fletcher did try and help her own cause by driving in MSU's lone run with a single in the bottom of the first inning.
 
Morgan State (30-18) will now have to win three consecutive games to have a chance to play in the championship game(s) on Saturday, beginning with a game versus sixth-seeded University of Maryland Eastern Shore on Thursday at noon.
 
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