Fayetteville, NC – Fayetteville State opened its 2020 softball season with a split 2-3 and 12-4 doubleheader against non-conference Bluefield State at the Lamon Street Park in Fayetteville.
Rylie Williams (Ukiah, CA) led the doubleheader with five hits and three runs. She hit a double in the first game and finished a one-run homer to end the second game with the mercy rule.
Cheyene Ingram stole four out of five bases.
Braynka Brown was credited the win in the circle of the second game giving up four runs from eight hits in five innings.
Bluefield State opened the doubleheader with three runs from the first two innings. In the third inning,
Mikayla Jackson hit a single to left-center to score Ingram and Williams hit a double to right-center to score Jackson.
Sparks seemed to fly in the second of the twin bill.
Anya Adams hit a scoring single in the first inning followed by a single down the left-line by Williams to put the Broncos up 2-0.
Bluefield State captured a 4-2 lead in the top of the third with five hits, but the Broncos regained the lead with three runs from three hits and three errors in the bottom of the outing.
Fayetteville State had a big at bat in the fourth inning, after
Grace Vincent reached first on an error by the shortstop that allowed a run. A throwing error by the Big Blues' third baseman allowed two Broncos to score setting the Bronco advantage to 9-4. After a few changes to Bluefield State's defensive lineup, Ingram's hit into center field scored two more runs for FSU.
With an 11-4 lead, Fayetteville State needed one more run to invoke the NCAA mercy rule. After shutting down the Big Blues offense, Williams hit the homer to center field to end the game.
Fayetteville State will host Converse at the Lamon Street Park on Sunday, February 9
th in a 2 & 4 pm doubleheader.
