NCCU SOFTBALL TO FACE WSSU AND ECU IN PAIR OF TWINBILLS

NCCU SOFTBALL TO FACE WSSU AND ECU IN PAIR OF TWINBILLS
Reah P. Nicholson 03/22/10

Lady Eagles travel to Winston-Salem State before hosting East Carolina

DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University softball team (4-18) will face Winston-Salem State University (2-9) and East Carolina University (11-11) in a pair of doubleheaders this week with a trip to Winston-Salem State on Tuesday, March 23 before hosting East Carolina in Cary, N.C. on Wednesday, March 24.

Tuesday’s game between the Lady Eagles and the Lady Rams is a rescheduled game from March 2, where inclement weather forced a postponement of the game. Winston-Salem State and NCCU will prepare to face-off at Randy Jones Field in Twin City Park at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

NCCU and East Carolina will battle on Wednesday at Thomas Brooks Park in Cary, N.C., where the Lady Eagles will host the Pirates in doubleheader action. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. with the second game slated to begin at 3 p.m.

The Lady Eagles will start the week off with a 4-18 record as they are currently suffering from a nine-game losing skid after going 0-4 this weekend, where they dropped doubleheaders to Campbell and UNC Wilmington. NCCU enters this week with four student-athletes hitting above .300 and two pitchers with an ERA less than seven.

NCCU is led by the dynamic hitting duo of Desanbra Franklin and Nadia Jefferies. Franklin leads the team with a .365 average. The senior has totaled 23 hits on 63 at-bats with 14 runs, eight doubles, three homeruns and 11 RBIs. The Piqua, Ohio, native leads the team in every offensive category except RBIs, where she sits in second. She is a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen bases and has started in all 22 of the Lady Eagles’ games this season.

Jefferies has made an instant impact in the Lady Eagle lineup as a true freshman. She has notched a .364 average with 20 hits on 55 at-bats with 11 runs, two doubles and an RBI. The local standout from Garner, N.C. is 6-for-7 in stolen bases and has started in 19 of the Lady Eagles’ 22 games.

Rounding out the .300 hitters for the Lady Eagles this season are sophomore Andrea Searls and freshman Kayla McPeek. Searls is hitting .311 on the season, while McPeek is at the .308 mark. They combine for 18 hits, two doubles, one triple and six RBIs.

On the mound, the Lady Eagles are led by McPeek, the only NCCU pitcher to notch two wins this season. The Westerville, Ohio, native comes into the week with a 2-5 record after making 12 appearances this season, tied for the most this season. She has allowed 64 runs, 45 earned, on 84 hits in 45 innings pitched. McPeek has tallied 12 strikeouts, the only one among the pitching staff in double-figures, while notching a 7.00 ERA.

Winston-Salem State, the Lady Eagles’ first opponent of the week, comes into the matchup with a 2-9 record. The Lady Rams are currently on a seven-game losing skid after dropping games to Campbell, Towson, Eastern Kentucky, USC Upstate and Hampton.

The Lady Rams have five student-athletes hitting above .300 on the season as Olivia McDonald leads the way with a .500 average with just one hit on two at-bats. Malia Craft is Winston-Salem State’s power hitter, hitting .350 on the season with seven hits on 20 at-bats with one run, one double, one homerun and four RBIs.

Whitney Hall is a dangerous offensive weapon as she is hitting .314 on the season. She leads the team in runs (5), hits (11), doubles (3), homeruns (2) and RBIs (7). Joining Hall is Tiffany Burgess and Britney Cato, who are both hitting above .300. Burgess has a .333 average with two hits on six at-bats, while Cato is 6-for-20 with three runs, one homerun and two RBIs, while leading the team in stolen bases with four.

Leading the Lady Ram pitching stable is Brittany Lane. Lane has a 1-4 record, while notching a 4.95 ERA. She has made 10 appearances in the circle and has allowed 40 runs, 24 earned, on 57 at-bats with 17 walks and 38 strikeouts in 43.2 innings of work.

East Carolina is the Lady Eagles’ second opponent of the week, as they enter the matchup with an even 11-11 record. The Pirates are currently riding a two-game winning streak after defeating Cal State Fullerton and UC Davis in the Cal Round Robin Tournament in Berkeley, Calif.

The Pirates are led by a quartet of student-athletes that are hitting above .300. Marina Gusman-Brown leads the way for East Carolina with a .373 average after notching 19 hits on 51 at-bats with 10 runs, two doubles, two triples, three homeruns and 11 RBIs. She is also their most active base runner, going 9-for-10 in stolen bases.

Joining Gusman-Brown in the .300 club is Charina Sumner, Christina Merrida and Priscilla Velasquez. Sumner is hitting .353 with 24 hits and 14 runs on the season. She has hit five doubles, three triples and eight RBIs, while Merrida is hitting .333 with 13 runs and 20 hits with one double and four RBIs. Velasquez has a .308 average with 12 hits, six runs, a double, a triple, a homerun and 18 RBIs to round out the Pirate offense.

The East Carolina pitching stable is solid with all three of their pitchers having an ERA less than three. Toni Paisley is the Pirates’ pitching ace with a 7-7 record and a 2.03 ERA. She has also notched two saves on the year. The redshirt junior has allowed 32 runs, 26 earned, on 53 hits in 89.2 innings pitched. Paisley has walked 30 and has 118 strikeouts this season to lead the Pirate pitching staff.

Following their pair of doubleheaders this week, the Lady Eagles will head to Dover, Del., where they will face Delaware State before participating in the Sean Savage Epilepsy Awareness Tournament, hosted by Delaware State University, March 27-28. The tournament is an effort to raise money and awareness for epilepsy.