Fayetteville, NC – Fayetteville State went all out in a doubleheader sweep over Elizabeth City State in Lamon Street Park in Fayetteville, NC. The Broncos improve to 3-5 on the season and 1-5 in CIAA conference play with an 8-0 and 9-1 victory over the Vikings (1-6, 1-6 CIAA).
The Broncos started the day with a two-run double by Makyiah Mitchell (Morehead City, NC) in the bottom of the opening inning. FSU jumped ahead by another two points for a 4-0 lead in the following inning after M'Smrya Seward (Franklinton, NC) and Alexia Bryant (Ayden, NC) crossed home plate after an error by the centerfielder. Before the second inning was over, Lana Reed doubled to left-center for the fifth runner batted in.
Braynka Brown (Sanford, NC) singled in the third inning for an unearned RBI score.
Elizabeth City State recorded only one hit for the game and that was in the fourth inning. Braynka Brown, who pitched all five innings, faced 16 batters where she struck out four and walked one. Five ECSU batters grounded out and five were out by pop-ups.
Seward's singe to left-center ended the game with the mercy rule as two runners set the final score to 8-0.
Angel Johnson (Carthage, NC) led the way with a triple in one of her two hits out of three plate appearances. Rylie Williams (Ukiah, CA), Reed, and Mitchell hit doubles into play.
Kali Flanagan, who gets the loss from the pitching circle, was also credited for hitting three batters. Backup pitcher Alexis Monroe also hit a batter.
The second game ended just before the expected storm doused Lamon Street Park. Tanika Powell (Fremont, NC), with bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth inning, laid down a scoring bunt which allowed Grace Vincent to score and end the game with the 9-1 mercy-rule victory. The Broncos had a collective nine hits and an assist by two ECSU errors in the victory. Breana Brown (Bronx, NY) improved to 1-2 in the pitching circle. She faced 20 batters and only gave up two hits and one run.
The Broncos scored a run in the first and second innings and had a three-run outing in the fourth inning. With bases loaded, Vincent reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Brown to score. Lana Reed's single to left made way for Johnson to cross the plate. Before the third out, another fielder's choice permitted a Bronco run that set the score to 5-1.
Two runs in the fifth inning forced Elizabeth City to switch pitchers but the change couldn't do much for the game's outcome. Angel Johnson, who reached on an RBI single before the change, stole second and third base in one play. A hit by Vincent brought her home. After Anya Adams (Spring Lake, NC) reached base on balls, that is when Powell ended the game with her hit.
Fayetteville State will travel to Shaw University on Thursday, April 1 for a 1 and 3 pm doubleheader matchup.
