BOWIE, Md. – On a rainy Saturday afternoon, Bowie State softball breezed to an easy 14-2 victory in five innings over Elizabeth City State in game one of a scheduled doubleheader. Unfortunately game two could not be played due to deteriorating field conditions.
The Bowie State Bulldogs (15-18, 11-2 CIAA, 6-1 North) pounded out 14 hits with junior
Inaya Jones (Baltimore, Md.) leading the attack with four. Bowie State's threesome of juniors
Jacqueline Pickering (Bowie, Md.) and
Nicoleen Ochoa (Madison, Ohio) along with sophomore
Morgan Powell (Upper Marlboro, Md.) recorded a pair of hits apiece in the win. Ochoa and Pickering were responsible for and team-high four and three RBI respectively.
Another Bulldogs threesome consisting of sophomores
Megan Visele (Great Mills, Md.),
Jaelyn Belt (Glen Burnie, Md.) and junior
Tiffany Bearns (Lusby, Md.) contributed one hit each.
Junior
Stefanie Ray (Damascus, Md.) struck out six Lady Vikings over five innings and picked up her 12th win of the season.
Bowie State held a 5-0 advantage after two innings, scoring two runs in the 1st inning and three runs in the bottom of the 2nd inning.
Elizabeth City State (1-23, 0-9 CIAA, 0-5 North) plated one run in the top of the 3rd inning to cut the Bulldogs lead down to 5-1. However, Bowie State plated three in the bottom half of the frame to push the Bulldogs out to an 8-1 advantage.
The Vikings recorded their final run of the game in the 4th inning on a Khadijah Rodgers (Burlington, N.C.) double to right center, scoring Keechell Johnson (Charlotte, N.C.), but Elizabeth City State trailed 8-2 at that point.
The Bulldogs broke the game open in the bottom of the 4th inning, rocking Elizabeth City State pitcher (Ashante Spruill (Columbia, N.C.) for six runs on eight hits to account for the final margin of 14-2.
Spruill, Rogers, Kayley Surrento (Elizabeth City, N.C.) and Lashika Basnight (Plymouth, N.C.) accounted for all four Lady Vikings hits.
The Bulldogs will make up the second game versus Elizabeth City State on Friday (4/28) at a neutral site (Virginia State) at a time to be determined. Following the ECSU game, Bowie State will conclude the regular season portion of its schedule at Virginia State on Saturday (4/29) at 1 and 3 p.m.
