CARY, N.C. - The West Virginia State University Yellow Jackets cruised to a 15-1 non-conference softball victory over the Bowie State University Bulldogs on Sunday morning to close out the Shaw Lady Bears Challenge. The loss sets Bowie State's record at 1-4 while West Virginia State improves to 6-8 overall.
 
West Virginia State plated two runs in the 1st inning and added four more runs in the 2nd inning and was never threatened by Bowie State. The WVSU Yellow Jacket bats exploded in the top of the 3rd inning, tacking on seven runs for a 13-0 advantage.
 
Bowie State did not get its first hit of the day until the bottom of the 3rd inning which came off the bat of junior Nicoleen Ochoa (Madison, Ohio).
 
West Virginia State pushed one across in the top half of the 4th inning before Bowie State's Bulldogs were able to account for their only run.  After multiple Bowie State defensive changes, junior Inaya Jones (Baltimore, Md.) belted a solo homerun, her first of the season but the Yellow Jackets held a comfortable 15-1 cushion at that point.
 
The Yellow Jackets added one run in their share of the 5th inning while the Bulldogs came up empty to end the game by the 8-run mercy rule and account for the final score of 15-1.
 
Micca Mirabella, Brookelyn Hale and Kayleigh Thompson contributed three hits apiece to lead the West Virginia State offense. Hale was responsible for a game-high three RBI while Mirabella, Mackenzie Dunlop and Brittany Allison recorded two RBI each in the win. Chelsey Parkins went 4.2 innings in the circle, striking out five.
 
Bowie State junior Stefanie Ray (Damascus, Md.) took the loss, giving up 14 of the 16 hits (11 earned), but struck out four and walked two.
 
The Bulldogs will play its home opener on Tuesday (March 7th), hosting East Stroudsburg University in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.