Courtesy of NCCU Athletics
RALEIGH, N.C. — The NCCU softball team outhit host North Carolina State University in Wednesday’s doubleheader, 19-16, at the Dail Softball Stadium and the Eagles notched a statement 10-3 win in the nightcap.
The host Wolfpack secured a 19-9 triumph in the opener before the Eagles won the second game that was televised on the ACC Network.
A total of six NCCU Softball players had multi-hit days, including freshman Makiya Graves with a team-best five hits. Sophomore Jaidyn Hamby followed with four hits and a team-high four runs scored. Junior Ivory Jones supplied three hits and matched Graves with three RBI. Juniors Hailey Batista and Maegan Garrison both went deep in each game while Jones and freshman Takia Nichols had one home run apiece on the day.
NC Central (2-17) will next play a three-game weekend series at Gardner-Webb University on Saturday-Sunday, March 11-12.
GAME ONE: NC State 19, NC Central 9
The Wolfpack scored in all six innings played to slowly pull away to the run-rule victory. NC State was clutch throughout the contest, totaling 18 RBI on its 19 runs scored. Freshman Nadia Sykes highlighted play for the victors with a grand slam.
Garrison hit her own grand slam for NCCU Softball in the top of the fifth, pulling the visitors to within five runs, 13-8, but a big five-run sixth inning clinched the victory for NCSU.
NC Central hit a total of three home runs. Jones launched a three-run blast over the left field fence in the top of the first to propel the Eagles to an early 3-nil advantage. NC State score four runs in the home half of the opening frame, but a solo homer by Batista to start the second inning quickly leveled the score. However, the Wolfpack added five more runs in the bottom of the second and remained ahead from that point.
The home run by Jones was her team-high fifth of the season.
Graves led the maroon and gray with three hits and Jones followed with two base knocks as that duo accounted for five of NCCU’s nine hits.
GAME TWO: NC Central 10, NC State 3
The Eagles scored three runs in both the first and third innings to jump out to a 6-0 lead and NCCU was able remain in front from that point on the strength of a complete-game victory by sophomore pitcher Jaden Davis.
Nichols had the hot bat for the maroon and gray, blasting a two-run homer in the first inning and ripping a two-run double in the third inning to anchor NCCU’s early outburst. Nichols, who now has three homers in her rookie campaign, finishes the triumph with four RBI and two runs scored.
A couple more home runs by Batista and Garrison helped the Eagles pull away for the seven-run win. Batista hit her second solo home run of the day to begin the fourth inning, which was her fourth long ball of the season. Garrison capped NCCU’s scoring with a three-run homer in the seventh, her third on the year.
NC Central finished with a 10-6 hit advantage and Hamby led the way with three hits from the leadoff position in the lineup. Graves added two more singles for five hits on the day.
NC State (6-14) managed three runs on Davis (1-6), but the hurler fanned five Wolfpack in the complete-game victory.
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