Winston-Salem, NC – The last time Fayetteville State University defeated Winston-Salem State University in softball was in 2018 when the Broncos won 11-10 in extra innings to advance to the CIAA Championship game in Salem, Virginia.
On this past Thursday, Fayetteville State (5-5 Overall, 3-5 CIAA) swept the Rams (4-3, 1-3 CIAA) 5-0 and 9-4 at the Twin City Field in Winston-Salem, NC. In the first game, the Broncos had five runs from six hits and five errors made by Winston-Salem State.
Tanika Powell and Seward led the Broncos with two hits each.
Grace Vincent
In the second game, Fayetteville State collected eight hits for nine runs with one error committed by the Rams.
Angel Johnson had a stellar day at base running with five of the Broncos nine stolen bases.
Grace Vincent hit her sixth career home run for a two-run score in the seventh inning.
Pitcher
Braynka Brown improved to 3-4 overall in the circle with 25 batters faced in 6.2 innings of the first game and 17 batters in 4.1 inning of the second game. Brown allowed three hits in the first game and four in the second. Of the seven hits, only two resulted in runs.
Game #1:
A short-stop error with bases loaded in the first inning allowed FSU to score an unearned run. On the following play,
Grace Vincent singled up the middle for an RBI, but the run was still unearned due to the previous error.
In the third inning,
Breana Brown reached first and second base on a throwing error by the Ram covering second. The error allowed
M'Smrya Seward to score an unearned run for a 3-0 lead. Brown would later advance to third and continue home on a passed ball.
In the seventh inning, Breana would make way for Seward to cross home plate for the 5-0 advantage after the batted ball sent to second would become an errant throw to first.
Game #2:
At the top of the third inning,
Angel Johnson advanced to base on balls and continued to second base on a wild pitch. She then stole third base and after Powell was walked, she stole home for a 1-0 lead.
Winston-Salem State tied the game, 2-2, at the bottom of the third, with a single RBI and a bases loaded walk.
The Broncos regained the lead with the next at bat when Johnson's third stolen base led to a throwing error on the failed pick-off. The error allowed
Mikayla Jackson to score. Johnson would eventually steal home again for a 4-2 lead.
Tanika Powell nailed a triple in the seventh inning for an RBI and
Breana Brown doubled to center field for a two-run RBI. Vincent's homer gave the Broncos a 9-2 lead heading into the bottom of the final inning.
Winston-Salem State's Semaj Brown hit a two-run homer before the end of the game.
