BOWIE, Md. – In a battle for first place in the CIAA Northern Division, the Chowan Hawks (30-18, 12-2 CIAA, 7-1 North) defeated the Bowie State Bulldogs (14-18, 10-2 CIAA, 5-1 North) softball team 3-0 in game one but the Bulldogs captured a thrilling 5-4 victory in game two in eight innings.  PHOTOS (Courtesy of Lawrence Johnson)
 
Junior Inaya Jones (Baltimore, Md.) tallied a team-high three hits over the two-game set to lead Bowie State. Juniors Jacqueline Pickering and Ja'seph Smith, both of Bowie, Md., along with sophomore Tiffany Bearns (Lusby, Md.) were responsible for a pair of hits each in Friday's doubleheader.
 
Chowan was paced by seniors Tina White (Whiteville, N.C.) and Danielle Baccus (Hertford, N.C.) with three hits apiece. Brittany Parson (Reno, Nev.) recorded two hits overall and four other Hawks accounted for one hit in the split with the Bulldogs.
 
In game one, Chowan pitcher Kayla Robins (Matthews County, Va.) held Bowie State hitless over the first three innings while accounting for just one hit of their own in a scoreless game through four innings.
 
With one out in the 5th inning, Chowan's Katrina Simmons (San Diego, Calif.) walked, then stole second and third. Brook Bowen's (Windsor, N.C.) sacrifice fly scored Simmons for the Hawks first run of the contest.
 
Chowan added another run in the top of the 6th inning following a Parson's double that scored White for 2-0 lead.
 
The Hawks tacked on an insurance run (unearned) in the top of the 7th courtesy of two Bulldog errors on the same play to account for the final margin of 3-0 in the opener.
 
Robins earned her 19th win of the year, striking out nine along the way while her counterpart Stefanie Ray (10-8) struck out 10 for the Bulldogs.
 
The second game of the doubleheader got off to a bang for Bowie State in the bottom of the 1st inning when junior starting pitcher Nicoleen Ochoa (Madison, Ohio) belted a two out, solo homer to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 advantage.
 
Chowan's White led off of the top of the 2nd inning with a single and later scored following a single to right by Robins to tie the game at 1-all.
 
After a scoreless 3rd inning the Chowan Hawks plated two in the top of the 4th inning. Baccus hit a leadoff home run to left center for a 2-1 advantage. White followed with a triple to right and later scored on a Kris Neal (Clayton, N.C.) sacrifice fly to increase the Hawks lead to 3-1.
 
Bowie State got one run back in the bottom half of the 4th inning. Jones led off with a double and was pushed across the dish following a Bearns single, trimming the Bulldogs deficit to 3-2.
 
The Bulldogs defense held in the 5th through 7th innings and knotted the contest at 3-3, banging out three hits. Sophomore Jaelyn Belt (Glen Burnie, Md.) began Bowie State's share of the frame with a single through the right side. Chowan turned an amazing double play but the Bulldogs were not done. With two outs, Smith dropped down a great bunt single to keep Bowie State alive. Pickering stepped up and doubled off the left field fence, scoring Smith to send the game into extra innings.
 
Using international rules to begin the 8th inning, Chowan's Simmons was placed on second and later stole third. Simmons scored after Haley Cooper (Perquimas, N.C.) grounded out to second, giving the visitors a 4-3 advantage. Baccus followed with a double but was lift stranded.
 
Bowie State's Ochoa was placed on second to begin the bottom of the 8th inning. Jones struck out and sophomore Megan Visele (Great Mills, Md.) popped up a bunt attempt to third for two outs. A Bearns double scored Ochoa to tie the game at 4-all. With two outs, junior Emily Lewis (Aberdeen, Md.) reached on an error by Chowan's second baseman, scoring Bearns to secure the 5-4 victory.
 
The Bulldogs will close out the regular season portion of its home schedule on Saturday (4/22) hosting Elizabeth City State at 12 and 2 p.m., weather permitting.