DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central hosts Norfolk State in a three-game MEAC softball series starting Saturday, March 22, at Thomas Brooks Park in Cary, N.C. A doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday followed by a single game at 12 p.m. on Sunday, March 23.
This is the first home conference series for the Eagles, who have played 26 of 27 games on the road. Starting this weekend, NCCU will host nine of its next 12 games.
The Eagles (3-24, 0-3 MEAC) are seeking to snap a four-game losing skid, including three league losses to Howard last weekend. They challenged East Carolina late before falling 14-10 in a non-conference away game on Tuesday.
NCCU is led offensively by
Takia Nichols,
Makiya Graves,
Samaria Jackson,
Daiyah Bailey,
Kia Borum and
Tyler Suttles. Nichols is tied for second (12), Graves is sixth (11) and Jackson ranks 10
th (8) in RBIs in the MEAC. Bailey and Graves are tied for fifth (20) and Suttles is tied for seventh (18) in hits.
Bailey is tied for second (12), Borum is tied for fifth (11) and Jackson is tied for ninth (9) in runs scored in the conference. Suttles is the league co-leader in triples (3) and Jackson is the tri-leader in home runs (3) for the Eagles, who lead the MEAC in home runs (7) and tied for first in RBIs (70). NCCU is tied for second in the conference in runs scored (85).
NCCU pitcher
Jaden Davis is the league leader in strikeouts (48) and innings pitched (75.0). She is tied for fifth in wins (3).
For Norfolk State (9-11, 2-1 MEAC), Jordan Knott ranks third (.383) and Kailey Bryant is fifth (.368) in batting average in the MEAC. Bryant (12) is tied for second in RBIs and tied for first in hits (25) while Knott (23) is third.
Aniyah Michalak (11) is tied for fifth and Bryant (10) is tied for seventh in runs scored for the Spartans, who won two of three home games versus South Carolina State last weekend. The Spartans took a 13-4 road win over Hampton on Tuesday.
Amaya McPherson (2.32) and Brierra Tyler (2.43) are first and second, respectively, in earned run average for Norfolk State, which leads the MEAC in ERA (3.37).
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