DURHAM (April 30, 2017) – Behind a career pitching performance from sophomore Mohagony Headen, the North Carolina A&T softball team will enter the 2017 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship Softball Tournament as the No. 3 seed of the MEAC Southern Division when the tournament opens May 11-13 in Ormond Beach, Fla.
The Aggies defeated rival North Carolina Central on Sunday at Thomas Brooks Park, 1-0. Headen pitched a four-hit, complete-game shutout and walked only one batter while striking out six to improve to 7-15 in the circle this season. It was Headen's second career shutout and her first since shutting out South Carolina State 9-0 in five innings on March 26, 2016. The win improved the Aggies to 16-28-1 overall and 8-7 in the MEAC. It marks the first time in three years the Aggies have finished above .500 in the conference.
Headen was brilliant in getting the Aggies there. The four hits she did give up were scattered throughout the game. The Eagles (11-28, 6-8 MEAC), who will go into the MEAC softball tournament as the fourth seed, got a runner in scoring position in the first, third and sixth innings. In the first Miriam Duen reached second with two outs, but Headen struck out Dominique Wilson to end the inning. NCCU's Janeen Reynolds opened the third by singling and moved to second on a Dalika Wallace sacrifice bunt. But Headen settled in and struck out the next two batters she faced to end the threat.
NCCU's sixth may have been there best opportunity to breakthrough on Headen. The Eagles started a two-out rally when Lauren Sitterson walked and Wilson singled. But Brianna Hampton fouled out to keep the Eagles scoreless. With one out in the NCCU seventh, Aleyah Evans did single through the right side. She, however, was caught stealing for the second out in the inning. Headen fittingly ended the game by striking out Reynolds.
What made Headen's performance even more impressive was the fact she held on to the narrowest of leads for seven straight innings after the Aggies scored their one and only run in the first. Sophomore Zadia Davis opened the game with a bunt single and advanced to second on a throwing error. Junior Talisha Jenkins' sac bunt moved Davis to third. Sophomore Zadaisha Waddell drove in the only run of the game when she laid down a bunt toward second. A throwing error allowed Waddell to reach, but the well-executed bunt helped Davis cross the plate.
Wilson, the Eagles starter, got out of the inning without any more damage being done. Wilson (8-15) went the full seven, gave up three hits and walked four as she took the loss in the circle.
The Aggies regular season has come to an end because they cancelled a May 7 doubleheader at Norfolk State. The Aggies likely first-round opponent in the tournament is Morgan State (23-16, 12-3 MEAC). The Bears are two games behind MEAC Northern Division leader Hampton. The two schools have an upcoming three-game series at Morgan State. The Bears will need to sweep to earn the No. 1 seed out of the North.
