BLUEFIELD, VA --The Bowie State softball team (23-17, 15-0 CIAA, 10-0 North) secured their second Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Northern Division championship under the helm of head coach Ed Powell after sweeping Bluefield State on Sunday, Apr. 27 in a conference doubleheader at the Graham Recreational Park. The sweep caps a perfect 15-0 conference record, the first team to do so since Claflin (2019) and the first during the Ed Powell era.
Game One | Bowie State 9, Bluefield State 2
Lindsey George earned the win for the Bulldogs, pitching four innings and allowing just one run on two hits, with one walk and five strikeouts. Fellow Bulldog Makayla Drakeford also turned in a strong performance, tossing three innings while giving up one run on four hits, walking none, and striking out two.
Bowie State got on the board early, scoring one run in the top of the first inning. The Bulldogs added two more runs later, including one driven in by a run-scoring double from Taylor Dawkins.
Bluefield State narrowed the gap to 2-1, but the Bulldogs answered back in the third inning. A single by Mykhl Young drove in Ryan Fraser and Jayla Hill, extending Bowie State's lead to 4-1.
The Bulldogs kept the Big Blue off the scoreboard while adding to their advantage in the sixth inning. Coreena Dunham crossed home plate for the only run of the frame, pushing the lead to 8-1.
B-State managed to cut into the lead slightly, making it 8-2, before Bowie State responded in the seventh. Aralynn Robinson scored the Bulldogs' final run to make it 9-2, where the score stayed for the remainder of the game as BSU cruised to the win.
Game Notes
» George struck out five Big Blue hitters.
» BSU's highest scoring inning was the fourth, when it pushed three runs across.
» The Bulldogs out-hit the Big Blue at an 11-6 clip.
» Dunham led the Bulldogs at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI.
Game Two | Bowie State 11, Bluefield State 3
Ryalee Dillard got the start in the circle for Bowie State and earned the win, pitching five innings while allowing three earned runs on six hitss. She walked one and struck out seven. Sydney Seals also contributed in relief, tossing a scoreless inning with one hit, no walks, and two strikeouts.
The Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead, scoring once in the top of the first inning. Dawkins' RBI single helped spark a two-run frame for Bowie State.
BSU kept B-State off the board and extended their lead in the third inning, pushing it to 5-0.
The Bulldogs added two more runs in the fourth to make it 7-0 before the Big Blue rallied to cut the deficit to 7-3. Bowie State answered back in the sixth, plating four runs, highlighted by a two-run single from Robinson, stretching the lead to 11-3.
The Bulldogs held that margin the rest of the way to secure the victory.
Game Notes
» Dillard struck out seven Big Blue hitters.
» Bowie State's highest scoring inning was the sixth, when it pushed four runs across.
» BSU's pitching staff limited Bluefield State to just 1-for-6 (.167) with runners in scoring position.
» The Bulldogs drew eight walks from B-State pitching staff.
» George led the Bulldogs at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI.
Up Next
Bowie State will await the seeding for the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) softball championship, set to take place Thursday, May. 1 through Saturday, May. 3 in Orangeburg, S.C.
For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State Athletics and its 13 varsity sport teams, visit bsubulldogs.com.
