GREENVILLE, N.C. – Makiya Graves collected five RBIs and North Carolina Central nearly rallied from a 10-run deficit in a 14-10 non-conference loss to East Carolina at Joyner Family Stadium on Tuesday.
Graves registered a career-high in RBIs for the Eagles, who tied a season-high in runs and outhit ECU 12-11. She finished 3 of 4 with a home run, double and two runs scored in addition to the RBIs.
Her two-run homer to left field put the Eagles up 2-0 in the first inning. East Carolina (17-10 overall) led 12-2 after the fourth inning, however.
Graves hit a two-run single in the fifth inning to ignite a comeback. A two-out fielding error on
Samaria Jackson's at-bat scored Graves and
Kia Borum to cut the score to 12-6. Had ECU caught the fly ball in right field, the game would have ended on the eight-run mercy rule.
The Eagles took advantage of the error to pull even closer. In the sixth inning,
Kristin Corner scored on a wild pitch and Graves hit an RBI double to pull the Eagles within 12-8.
Takia Nichols finished the scoring with an RBI groundout to make the score a three-run margin.
ECU tacked on two runs in the bottom sixth to gain some breathing room. The Eagles added a run in the seventh inning on Corner's RBI groundout.
Borum batted 2 for 3 with three runs scored and
Wynter Williams scored two runs for NCCU.
Cameron Frye was 2 for 4 with a double and one run scored and
Daiyah Bailey scored one run.
Simone Mack pitched a strong seventh inning for the Eagles. ECU scored two runs but Mack struck out three batters and walked one.
Annie Kate Dalton batted 2 for 3 with a home run, four RBIs and two runs scored for the Pirates.
NCCU left seven runners on base and ECU stranded eight. The Eagles committed four errors to one for the Pirates.
The Eagles return to MEAC action with a three-game home series at Thomas Brooks Park in Cary, N.C., this weekend. They host Norfolk State in a doubleheader on Saturday, March 22, at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Both teams play again Sunday, March 23, at 1 p.m.
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