CARY, N.C. – Makiya Graves continued her hot hitting and
Jaden Davis was effective at the mound for North Carolina Central in a 6-2 softball win over Norfolk State in the first game of a MEAC doubleheader at Thomas Brooks Park on Saturday.
The Eagles succumbed to the Spartans 10-3 in the second game. Both teams meet again Sunday at noon in the final game of the series.
Graves went 2 for 4 with a double, two RBIs and one run scored for the Eagles, who finished with 13 hits, their second highest total this season. She is 7 for 12 at the plate with eight RBIs and three runs scored in three games this week.
Her RBI single in the third inning gave NCCU (4-25, 1-4 MEAC) the lead for good at 2-1. She added an RBI double in a two-run fifth inning for a 6-1 lead.
The run support was more than enough for Davis, who hurled a five-hitter in seven complete innings for her fourth win this season. She recorded seven strikeouts and one walk.
Takia Nichols started the scoring for the Eagles with an RBI single that scored
Tyler Suttles in the first inning. The Spartans tied the score 1-1 in the top of the third inning before the Eagles re-claimed the lead on Graves' RBI single that scored
Daiyah Bailey in the same inning.
The Eagles scored two runs for a 4-1 lead in the fourth inning.
Kristin Corner smacked an RBI double to score
Nyla Rodgers and
Kia Borum singled in Corner.
Graves' RBI double and
Cameron Frye's one-run single pushed the margin to five runs. Graves drove in Bailey and Frye knocked in Graves. The Spartans (10-13, 3-2 MEAC) scored in the sixth inning for the final score.
Bailey finished 3 for 4 with two runs scored and one stolen base. Nichols batted 2 of 3 with an RBI for the Eagles.
NCCU fell behind 7-0 before scoring its first run in the second game. Suttles hit an RBI single and Nichols smacked a one-run double in the fifth inning to chop the deficit to 7-2.
The Spartans stretched their lead to 10-2 by the seventh inning before the Eagles scored the final run on Graves' RBI double.
Graves and Nichols both batted 2 for 4 with one RBI for NCCU, which tallied six hits. Bailey, Suttles and
Kristin Corner each scored one run. Norfolk State collected 11 hits in the second game.
For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com, or download the NCCU Eagles Athletics app.