BOX SCORE

(PETETRSBURG, Va.) After squandering a three-run lead to lose to Chowan in the bottom of the seventh inning in the second round of the CIAA Softball Championships, Bowie State again lost a three-run lead in its opponent's final at-bat in an elimination game on Friday morning.

But the Lady Bulldogs' freshman Haley Snyder (Pennsauken, NJ, Pennsauken) hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field with one out in the top of the eighth, a play that eventually scored two runs thanks to an error, and the Lady Bulldogs escaped with a 9-7 victory over Fayetteville State.

Bowie State (22-19) advances to play Virginia State, which defeated Shaw 8-1 in the other elimination game on Friday morning, later Friday afternoon.

Bowie State appeared to be in complete control late in this one, not unlike their game on Thursday against Chowan. There, Bowie State led 7-4 entering the seventh before a couple of errors and timely hitting allowed Chowan to rally for an 8-7 victory.  

This time, Bowie State led 7-2 through five innings and freshman pitcher Mariela Hernandez (Del Rio, TX, Los Fresnos) was cruising. But again the defense began to let the Lady Bulldogs down. A two-out error by freshman shortstop Renelle Traylor (Hayward, CA, San Lorenzo) enabled the Broncos to score twice in the sixth, making the deficit a more manageable – and familiar – three runs entering Fayetteville State's final at-bat.

And the Broncos (19-29) didn't waste any time putting the pressure on. Jamie Bailey scored a run on a double steal, and later Tiffany Locklear came around when senior left fielder Danielle McClay (Silver Spring, MD, Montgomery Blair) misplayed Jessica Randolph's single. Randolph reached third on the error, putting the tying run just 60 feet away with one out.

Bowie State moved the infield in, and in an attempt to stem the defensive woes, switched Traylor with sophomore second baseman Justine Smith (Silver Spring, MD, James Hurbert Blake). FSU's Quristeen Brown grounded to Smith at short, and Randolph broke for home. Smith fielded the ball cleanly and fired home. Randolph stopped midway down the line, but the throw got away from the catcher Snyder, and Randolph side-stepped her way around the play to score the tying run.

The Lady Bulldogs finally got out of the inning, managing this time to force extra innings. And they took advantage of the chance, quickly putting runners on second and third with one out after Traylor's double to deep left field.

That brought up Snyder, whose fly ball was deep enough to score freshman Adria Lewis (Cumberland, MD, Fort Hill). An error by Fayetteville State catcher Ashley Wlezen enabled Traylor to also come home on the play.

The Broncos put two more runners on in the bottom of the eighth after another error kept the inning alive, but the side was retired when Traylor stepped on second base for a force out after a ground ball by Randolph.

Olivia Peavey worked four innings, allowing five runs – four earned – on eight hits. Peavey (11-13) struck out seven in the no-decision. Misty Huber (8-14) worked four innings in the loss, allowing four runs – two earned – on three hits. She walked five and struck out five.

Hernandez (12-13) scattered seven runs – only two earned – on 12 hits in eight innings.

Sophomores Amanda Ray (Damascus, MD, Damascus, Mount St. Mary's) and Kristen Lee (Germantown, MD, Northwest) had two RBI each for Bowie State while Ray and Traylor had two hits apiece.

Locklear had three hits for Fayetteville State while Peavey, Randolph and Wlezen had two apiece. Maya Washington drove in two runs.