LADY EAGLES HEAD FOR TOUGH WEEKEND ACTION

LADY EAGLES HEAD FOR TOUGH WEEKEND ACTION
Reah P. Nicholson 03/19/10

NCCU to face Campbell and UNC Wilmington this weekend

DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University softball team (4-14) is headed for a tough weekend of doubleheader action as they host Campbell University (7-15-1) on Saturday, March 20 at Thomas Brooks Park, before heading to Wilmington, N.C. on Sunday, March 21 to face UNC Wilmington (3-17) at Boseman Field. Both doubleheaders are scheduled to start at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Saturday’s game against Campbell was scheduled to start at noon with the second game starting at 2 p.m., but due to an event taking place at Thomas Brooks Park earlier in the day, the Lady Eagles will now battle the Camels at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at Thomas Brooks Park in Cary, N.C.

The Lady Eagles bring a 4-14 record into this weekend as they are currently suffering from a five-game losing skid after going 0-5 in Lubbock, Texas last weekend, where they battled Texas Tech University and Jackson State University in the Texas Tech Tournament. NCCU has seven student-athletes hitting above .300.

NCCU is led by the duo of Desanbra Franklin and Nadia Jefferies. Franklin leads the team with a .407 average. She has totaled 22 hits on 54 at-bats with 14 runs, eight doubles, three homeruns and 11 RBIs. The senior from Piqua, Ohio, leads the team in every offensive category and is a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen bases.

Jefferies has made an instant impact in the Lady Eagle lineup with a .400 average. The freshman has 18 hits on 45 at-bats with nine runs, two doubles and an RBI. The local standout from Garner, N.C., is 4-for-5 in stolen bases and has started in 15 of the Lady Eagles’ 18 games this season.

In the circle, the Lady Eagles are led by freshman Kayla McPeek, the only NCCU pitcher to notch two wins this season. McPeek comes into this weekend with a 2-3 record after making 10 appearances this season, the second most in the stable. The Westerville, Ohio, native has allowed 47 runs, 35 earned, on 67 hits in 36 innings of work. She has the most strikeouts among the pitching staff with 12 strikeouts this season and has a 6.81 ERA.

Campbell, the Lady Eagles’ first opponent of the weekend, stands at 7-15-1 on the season. They are scheduled to battle Winston-Salem State University in Winston-Salem this afternoon before heading to Durham to battle the Lady Eagles. They are currently on a two-game winning streak headed into their matchup with the Lady Rams.

The Camels have three student-athletes hitting above .300 on the season as Lauren Stephan leads the way with a .338 average. Stephan has 22 hits on 65 at-bats this season with 12 runs, three doubles, four homeruns and 12 RBIs. She leads the team in RBIs and hits, while notching a 1.000 fielding percentage.

Christina Melton is Stephan’s partner in crime with a .321 average. She has 17 hits on 53 at-bats with 11 runs, four doubles and eight RBIs. She is the team’s doubles leader and has a .918 fielding percentage. Joining them in the batter’s box is Sarah Forgacs, a local player from Morrisville, N.C. Forgacs has a .308 average with 16 hits on 52 at-bats. She has totaled seven runs and is 6-for-7 in stolen bases.

Melton is also the Camels’ ace on the mound. She comes into the matchup with a 3-4 record after allowing 30 runs, 26 earned, on 42 hits in 53.1 innings pitched. Melton has struck out 42 and has totaled 27 walks. So far this season, she has one save and has notched a 3.41 ERA to lead the Camel pitching stable.

NCCU will face UNC Wilmington on Sunday at Boseman Field. The Seahawks have struggled a bit this season, coming into the matchup with a 3-17 record. They are currently on a two-game losing skid entering the game. Just like Campbell, UNCW has three student-athletes hitting above .300 to lead the Seahawk offense.

Morgan Walters has a .333 average with 18 hits on 54 at-bats. She has three runs and two RBIs. Walters is pretty active in the field as she has a .966 fielding percentage with just two errors on the season. Her counterpart is Kelsey Eddinger, who has a .308 average with 12 hits on 39 at-bats. Eddinger has five runs, two homeruns and seven RBIs on the season. She is an active base runner, sitting with a perfect 6-for-6 in stolen bases.

Laura Sykes is the third Seahawk hitting above .300 with a .306 average off an 11-for-36 season. She has totaled five runs and three RBIs in 17 appearances. Sykes has a .909 fielding percentage with just one error.

Leading the Seahawks in the circle is Samme Lisowsky, UNCW’s pitching ace. She has made nine appearances this season, including eight starts. Lisowsky enters the matchup with a 2-6 record after allowing 40 runs, 28 earned, on 66 hits in 53.1 innings of action. She has struck out 40 and has walked 25. The junior from Chapel Hill, N.C., has notched a 3.68 ERA to lead the Seahawk pitching stable.

Lady Eagle fans can catch Saturday’s action live online at www.NCCUEaglePride.com, where the play-by-play voice of the Lady Eagles Chris Hooks will bring live action from Thomas Brooks Park, as the Lady Eagles take on the Camels. Tune in at 12:45 p.m. as Eagle Gameday, presented by the Hilton RTP, kicks the action off.