BOWIE, MD — The Bowie State softball team (21-19, 16-0 CIAA, 10-0 North) swept a CIAA doubleheader against Bluefield State (21-24) on Saturday, earning 11-9 and 10-4 victories at the BSU Softball Complex. The Bulldogs secured back-to-back CIAA regular-season championships for the first time in program history, finishing unbeaten in conference and division play.
Game One: Bowie State 11, Bluefield State 9
Bowie State used a late offensive surge to rally past Bluefield State in a back-and-forth opener.
The Big Blue jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but the Bulldogs responded in the second as
Sydney Seals launched a solo home run to get BSU on the board. Bowie State added two more runs in the frame to take a 3-2 lead.
Bluefield State answered with four runs in the third inning to regain control, but Bowie State chipped away, cutting the deficit to 7-6 after four innings. The Bulldogs broke through in the sixth, as
Taylor Dawkins delivered a two-RBI single before
Soleil Bond-Johnson blasted a three-run home run to give BSU an 11-7 advantage.
B-State plated two runs in the seventh, but Bowie State held on to secure the 11-9 victory.
Game Two: Bowie State 10, Bluefield State 4
BSU carried its momentum into the second game, using a balanced offensive attack to complete the sweep.
The Bulldogs struck first in the second inning, but B-State answered with three runs in the third to take a 3-1 lead. Bowie State responded quickly, as Dawkins delivered a two-RBI triple to tie the game before the Bulldogs took a 4-3 lead later in the inning.
BSU broke the game open in the fourth inning.
Santanna Puller doubled and scored on a single by
Coreena Dunham, and Seals followed with a three-run home run to extend the lead to 8-3.
The Bulldogs added two more runs in the fifth inning and held Bluefield State to just one run the rest of the way to secure the 10-4 win.
Top Performers
Game One:
•
Sydney Seals: 3 hits, 2 RBI, home run
•
Taylor Dawkins: 2 hits, 3 RBI
•
Soleil Bond-Johnson: 3 RBI, home run
Game Two:
• Seals: 4 RBI, home run, 2 runs
• Dawkins: 2 RBI, triple
•
Aaliyah Amos: 7.0 IP, 6 K, complete game
Up Next
Bowie State will await the seeding for the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) softball championship, set to take place Thursday, May. 7 through Saturday, May. 9 in Orangeburg, S.C.
For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State Athletics and its 14 varsity sport teams, visit bsubulldogs.com.
