CARY, N.C. – North Carolina Central opened MEAC softball play in impressive fashion this weekend.
The Eagles pounded out a season-high 13 hits to top Coppin State 10-2 in five innings at Thomas Brooks Park on Sunday, gaining their third win in two days to sweep the three-game series. NCCU is tied for first place in the conference standings after the first weekend of MEAC action.
This is the first time the Eagles (3-0 MEAC, 4-21 overall) swept a three-game MEAC series since 2024 when they accomplished the feat three times. It was also the first time since 2024 that NCCU beat a team in fewer than seven innings, defeating Maryland Eastern Shore 11-1 in five innings on April 14.
NCCU Head Coach
Now-Allah James credits a challenging non-conference schedule which included six Power Four programs for the Eagles' 3-0 start.
"This is the fruition of playing a tough schedule," James said. "We hit the ball well and our pitching and fielding were sharp today."
The 13 hits surpassed the 12 hits NCCU collected in an 8-1 victory in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader. The Eagles amassed 31 hits in the weekend series.
Freshman catcher
Mia De La Fuente was terrific offensively, driving in four runs and scoring once with a double on Sunday to finish the weekend with seven RBIs.
Kendal Daniels was a perfect 4 of 4 with a double, one RBI and three runs scored.
Daiyah Bailey batted 2 of 4 with two runs scored and
Avrelle Harrell finished 2 of 3 with two RBIs.
NCCU pitcher
Madeline Janssen scattered five hits in five innings with one strikeout, no walks and no earned runs to pick up her second win in two days.
The Eagles jumped out to a 2-0 first-inning lead when
Izabella Chavez scored Bailey on a groundout and De La Fuente scored Daniels on a sacrifice fly. NCCU added two more runs in the third inning on De La Fuente's double that brought home Daniels and she later scored on
Sierra Soto's single.
Coppin State (0-3 MEAC, 1-10 overall) closed within 4-2 in the fourth inning but the Eagles answered with five runs in the bottom half of the fourth highlighted by Harrell's two-run double that scored
Hannah McGonigle and
Elana Krupey.
Daniels started the rally with a double that scored
Isabella Slape. De La Fuente drove in Daniels on a groundout and
Elana Krupey singled to score Chavez before Harrell's double.
De La Fuente capped the scoring in the fifth inning with a bases-loaded fielder's choice that scored Bailey.
NEXT UP
The Eagles will step out the conference for a road game against Appalachian State on Wednesday, March 18, a 6 p.m. They then travel to Morgan State in a MEAC series beginning Saturday, March 21, with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.
