BOX SCORE

(PETERSBURG, Va.) The defending CIAA Champions of Bowie State University cruised to an easy 11-1 opening round victory Johnson C. Smith University. BSU improves their record to 21-6 on the year and will face Saint Paul's at 5 p.m. today in quarterfinal action at the Petersburg Sports Complex. 

Bowie State held a 5-0 advantage through two innings before Johnson C. Smith scored their one and only run in the top of the third inning. BSU responded with two runs in their half of the inning and added four more runs in the bottom of the fourth to seal the victory.

Alycia Watanabe went 2-for-3 and was responsible for Johnson C. Smith's run, scoring Alexxis Webb. The Lady Golden Bulls of Johnson C. Smith managed just three hits and committed four errors in the loss. Johnson C. Smith (7-16) drops into the loser's bracket and will play Shaw later this afternoon.

Bowie State banged up Watanabe for 11 hits with senior Tricia Corbin (Glen Burnie, MD, Old Mill) leading the Lady Bulldogs with three hits. Juniors Faline Brown (Inwood, W.Va., Hagerstown C.C.) and Kelley Alexander (Damascus, Md., Covenant Life, Montgomery College) tallied a pair of hits in the win and senior Ashley Cook (Port Republic, Md., Calvert, College of Southern Maryland) recorded two hits as well. Alexander led both teams with a game-high three RBI.

Senior pitcher Heather Enders (Glen Burnie, MD, Old Mill) recorded her 11th victory of the season, striking out seven.