DURHAM (April 29, 2017) – In a series that could determine the third seed out of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Southern Division at the 2017 MEAC Championship Softball Tournament in Ormond Beach, Fla., May 11-13, North Carolina A&T split the opening two games with North Carolina Central Saturday in a doubleheader at Thomas Brook Park.
The Aggies won the second game 8-0 as they returned the favor from being shutout in Game 1 by the Eagles, 3-0. The split puts the Aggies at 15-28-1 overall and 7-7 in the MEAC, while the Eagles are 11-27 overall and 6-7 in the MEAC. The top four teams from the southern division advance to the tournament. The third seed from the South will either be N.C. A&T or NCCU. Tomorrow's winner will determine that seeding.
In Game 2, sophomore Mohagony Headen hit her third home run in four games, this time a three-run shot, to lead the Aggies. Senior Kimberly Brunson kept her hot bat going in the second by going 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. She is 9-for-19 with seven RBI in her last six games. Alyssa Green added a 3-for-3 performance in the second game.
Headen's first-inning home run came after junior Zadia Davis had already scored off an error. Headen then came to the plate with two outs in the inning and crushed a home run off NCCU starter Lauren Sitterson to give the Aggies a 4-0 advantage. That is all N.C. A&T starter Zadaisha Waddell needed. Waddell tossed a two-hit shutout over four innings to improve to 9-13 on the season. She struck out four in the process as Headen pitched a scoreless fifth to complete the Aggies third shutout of the season. The game ended in the fifth due to the NCAA's run-rule.
The Aggies brought the game to that point thanks to a four-run fourth. The Aggies got a big boost in the inning when Talisha Jenkins reached on a throwing error with the bases loaded. The bad throw led to two runs scoring with Jenkins reaching second and Stephanie Williams going to third. Brunson brought both runners with a two-out, two-run single through the right side as the Aggies took an 8-0 lead.
Game 1 was not as productive offensively for N.C. A&T. Waddell had two of the Aggies three hits. Waddell was also the starter in the circle for the first game, but ran into some misfortune in the second inning and took the loss. With runners at first and second for the Eagles in the second, an errant throw on a pickoff attempt allowed both runners to move into scoring position. Aleyah Evans then dropped a bunt single. Brunson fielded the ball, but her throw to third to throw out Jennifer Allison was off target, allowing Ava Dolan to score. Dalika Wallace singled to score Allison for a 2-0 Eagles lead. NCCU added another run in the fifth.
Dominique Wilson (8-14) completed the shutout for the Eagles by striking out six over seven innings.
