ELIZABETH CITY, NC -- Bowie State softball team snaps a six-game skid starting the Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association (CIAA) Round-Up off strong with two wins against Winston-Salem State 6-1, and Johnson C. Smith 13-1 on Monday afternoon.
GAME 1 | Winston-Salem State 1, Bowie State 6
Akirra Pullen dominated on Monday, striking out eight Winston-Salem hitters over seven innings of work to help propel the Bulldogs (6-16, 1-0) past the Rams (1-13, 0-1) 6-1.
In addition to her eight strikeouts, Pullen (3-8) went seven innings, giving up one run on five hits and walking none for BSU.
Offensively, the Bulldogs were paced by Ellianna Henneberg, who went 2-for-3 on the day with a double and two RBI. Jayla Hill furnished a noteworthy performance as well, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Two-time Rookie of the Week recipient Presleigh Braxton also chipped in for BSU, putting together two hits in three trips to the plate while adding an RBI.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bulldogs got on the scoreboard first, starting in the third inning. BSU's offense started clicking and put up five runs, including a two-run double off the bat of Henneberg.
The Bulldogs then held the Rams scoreless before expanding their lead in the fifth inning. BSU scored once on an RBI single off the bat of Braxton, which brought the score to 6-0 in favor of the Bulldogs. WSSU put one run on the scoreboard before the game was over, but BSU still coasted to the 6-1 win.
GAME NOTES
» Pullen struck out eight Rams hitters.
» BSU's highest-scoring inning was the third when it pushed five runs across.
» The Bulldogs out-hit the Rams at an 8-5 clip.
» BSU went 5-for-11 (.455) with runners in scoring position.
» The Bulldogs got four hits in six at-bats with the bases loaded.
» BSU pitchers faced 27 WSSU hitters in the game, allowing six ground balls and seven fly balls while striking out eight.
GAME 2 | Bowie State 13, Johnson C. Smith 1
Jahkya Watkins and Lindsey George each racked up two extra-base hits to help lead the Bulldogs (7-16, 2-0) over the Golden Bulls( 0-12, 0-2) 13-1 on Monday.
George (3-7) started in the circle and picked up the win for BSU. The right-hander went five innings, giving up one run on three hits, allowing two walks and striking out four.
George's two extra base hits were the highlight of a 3-for-3 day, and included a double, a home run, a walk and five RBI. Watkins made her contribution with a double, a triple and an RBI, part of a 3-for-3 performance at the plate. Coreena Dunham also contributed for the Bulldogs, putting together two hits in three trips to the plate while adding a walk, two stolen bases, and an RBI.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bulldogs got the scoring started early, putting one run on the board in the top of the first inning. BSU scored twice, with one run coming across on George's single.
The Golden Bulls failed to push any runs across before the Bulldogs offense got back to their scoring ways the next inning. BSU scored three runs in the frame, buoyed by a two-RBI double from George, which brought the score to 5-0 in favor of the Bulldogs.
BSU kept JCSU scoreless before building their lead to 7-0 the following inning. The Bulldogs notched two runs in the frame, punctuated with an RBI triple off the bat of Watkins.
The Golden Bulls gained ground, closing the gap to 7-1 until BSU added some insurance in the fourth. The Bulldogs pushed across a run on Pullen's two-out RBI double, bringing the score to 8-1 in favor of BSU.
The Bulldogs held the Golden Bulls scoreless before expanding their lead to 13-1 the following inning. The BSU's offense piled up five runs, highlighted by a two-run home run off the bat of George. The score remained 13-1 for the rest of the game, as the Bulldogs coasted to the win.
GAME NOTES
» BSU got three-hit games from both George and Watkins.
» George drove in five runs for Bowie State.
» BSU's highest-scoring inning was the fifth when it pushed five runs across.
» BSU grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top half of the first and didn't surrender that lead for the remainder of the game.
» The Bulldogs out-hit the Golden Bulls at a 12-3 clip.
» BSU went 7-for-13 (.538) with runners in scoring position.
» The Bulldogs' pitchers faced 20 Golden Bulls hitters in the game, allowing seven ground balls and three fly balls while striking out four.
Up Next
The Bulldogs enter day two of the CIAA Round-Up on Tuesday, Mar. 26 as they face Livingstone College at 1:30 p.m. and Shaw University at 4:00 p.m. in Elizabeth City, NC from the South Park Sports Complex.
For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State Athletics and its 13 varsity sports teams, visit bsubulldogs.com.
