BOX SCORE

(RALEIGH, N.C.) Johnson C. Smith gave Bowie State a scare before the Lady Bulldogs rallied late to record a 4-1 decision over the Lady Golden Bulls.

Johnson C. Smith's Lady Golden Bulls scored their only run of the contest in the second inning after a fielding error by BSU's Justine Smith (Silver Spring, MD, James Herbert Blake). JCSU's Mauranda Elliott led off with a single back to the pitcher. Elliott stole second and rounded the bases to score on the same play.

Bowie State was held scoreless through 5 ½ innings before the bats came alive in the bottom of the sixth inning. Junior Shalai Tabor (Waldorf, MD, Delaware State Univ.) tied the game at 1-1 with a solo home run to right. Sophomore Shanae Smoot (Bel Alton, Md., LaPlata) followed with a single to right and advanced to third after a fielding error by the Johnson C. Smith's Rashondae Henderson. Freshman Megan Alexander (Damascus, Md., Damascus) picked up an RBI with a single to center field, scoring Smoot. Alexander would later score courtesy of a single up the middle by senior Annette Makle (Brandywine, MD, Gwynn Park), pushing the Bowie State lead to 3-1. Senior Kelley Alexander (Damascus, Md., Covenant Life, Montgomery College) singled up the gut of the JCSU defense, allowing fellow senior Faline Brown (Inwood, W.Va., Hagerstown C.C.) to score the Lady Bulldogs final run.

The Bowie State Lady Bulldogs (5-5, 2-1 CIAA) accounted for 11 hits with Smoot, Megan Alexander and freshman Amanda Hedgepeth (Odenton, MD, Arundel) leading the way with a pair of hits each.

Brown notched her third win of the season, striking out seven and walking two.

Bowie State will close out the marathon day with a meeting against the Lady Blue Bears of Livingstone College at 7 p.m. this evening at Walnut Creek Park.