BALTIMORE, Md. – North Carolina Central bounced back from a close extra-inning loss to trounce Morgan State 10-0 in five innings in the second game of a Sunday softball doubleheader at Lois T. Murray Field.
The Eagles regrouped after falling to the Bears in the first game 14-13 in eight innings.
The second-game victory improved the Eagles' record to 4-2 in the MEAC and 5-23 overall. The Bears dropped to 2-4 in the conference and 5-16 overall.
GAME 2
NCCU won by its largest margin since defeating South Carolina State 16-4 on April 2025. It was the Eagles' second five-inning win this season.
Madeline Janssen hurled a three-hit shutout in five innings,
Hannah McGonigle drove in three runs and
Elana Krupey collected two RBIs for the Eagles, who scored four runs in the third inning and five runs in the fourth inning to turn the contest into a rout.
In the third inning, McGonigle hit a three-run single to score
Kendal Daniels,
Mia De La Fuente and
Izabella Chavez and she later scored on a wild pitch for a 5-0 lead.
In the fourth inning,
Tyler Suttles scored on an infield error and Chavez scored on a passed ball. Krupey's two-run double scored Daniels and McGonigle and she later scored on a double by
Cameron Frye for the eventual final score.
Chavez opened the scoring in the first inning on an RBI single that scored
Daiyah Bailey for the Eagles, who totaled seven hits.
Janssen finished with two strikeouts and one walk for her third victory in four MEAC appearances. The shutout was her second this season.
GAME 1
The first game was an offensive slugfest as both teams combined for 36 hits including a season-high 16 hits for the Eagles, who also set season marks in runs (13) and RBIs (13).
Suttles led the offensive explosion with six RBIs, three runs scored, two triples and a double on 3 of 5 hitting in addition to two stolen bases. Chavez finished 2 of 3 with three RBIs and
Janea Hudson knocked in two runs.
Isabella Slape batted 2 of 3 with two runs scored and Daniels batted 2 of 4 with two runs scored. McGonigle finished 3 of 4 with an RBI, two runs scored and two stolen bases while Bailey matched Suttles with three runs scored.
The Eagles took a 13-12 lead in the eighth inning on Hudson's RBI groundout that scored Daniels, but the Bears scored two runs in the bottom eighth to claim the win.
NCCU held the lead four times in the game. The Eagles were up 2-0 in the first inning on Suttles' triple that scored Bailey and Chavez's flyout that scored Suttles.
The Bears scored four runs in the bottom first but the Eagles regained the lead at 6-4 in the top second highlighted by Suttles' three-run triple that scored Bailey, Slape and Hudson. Suttles later scored on De La Fuente's single.
The Eagles found themselves trailing 7-6 after three Bears' runs in the bottom second. NCCU answered with three runs in the third inning and two runs in the fourth to go ahead 11-7. In the third inning, Suttles continued her hot hitting, smacking a two-run double that scored Slape and McGonigle before Chavez singled in Suttles. In the fourth inning, McGonigle scored Daniels on a triple and she later scored on Hudson's RBI groundout.
Morgan State closed within 11-10 with three runs in the bottom fourth. Chavez singled in Bailey in the fifth inning to give the Eagles a little breathing room at 12-10 but the Bears scored two runs in the sixth inning to force extra innings.
NEXT UP
The Eagles will host Longwood in a non-conference doubleheader at Thomas Brooks Park in Cary, N.C., on Wednesday (March 25). The first game begins at 4 p.m. followed by the second game at approximately 6 p.m.
For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.
