FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — After a dramatic extra‑inning victory in the opener, Fayetteville State(8-10) was unable to complete the doubleheader sweep, falling 8–5 in nine innings to Carolina (9-9) in Game 2 as the Bruins pulled away late at Lamon Street Park.
The nightcap unfolded as a tightly contested pitchers' duel early, with neither team scoring through the first four innings. Both sides relied on small ball and defensive execution, trading strikeouts and groundouts as scoring opportunities were limited.
Carolina finally broke through in the fifth inning, capitalizing on a fielding error and a timely hit. With two runners on, Chloe Herbster singled to center field to drive in two unearned runs, giving the Bruins a 2–0 lead.
Fayetteville State answered immediately in the bottom half of the inning. Madison Heath sparked the rally with a leadoff single and eventually scored on a ground‑rule double by Tamarah Lowery. Moments later, Cheyenne Payne laid down a sacrifice bunt that plated the tying run, evening the score at 2–2.
The score remained deadlocked through the sixth and seventh innings as both teams worked around baserunners. Carolina threatened in the top of the seventh, putting runners on the corners, but Fayetteville State escaped without damage to force extra innings.
Under the international tiebreaker in the eighth, Carolina regained the lead when Emma‑Lea Cabral delivered a two‑run home run to right‑center, pushing the Bruins ahead 4–2. Once again, the Broncos responded. Fayetteville State manufactured runs with execution, using a sacrifice fly from Sydney Jackson and a sacrifice bunt by Jazzmyn Ohlson to tie the game at 4–4 and send it to the ninth.
Carolina seized control in the ninth with a decisive four‑run frame. RBI singles from Nathaly Ochoa and Jocelyn DeMoss, combined with aggressive baserunning and a wild pitch, stretched the Bruins' advantage to 8–4.
Fayetteville State mounted one final push in the bottom of the inning. After loading the bases, Aniya Caldwell was hit by a pitch to force in a run and cut the deficit to 8–5, but Carolina was able to record the final out to close the game.
The Broncos finished with timely contributions throughout the lineup, including RBI hits from Lowery and Caldwell, while Payne and Jackson played key roles in run‑producing situations. Despite the loss, Fayetteville State showed resilience for the second straight game, battling through nine innings and answering multiple late deficits.
Carolina completed the split behind late‑inning execution and power hitting, taking advantage of extra‑inning opportunities to secure the win and close the doubleheader on a high note.
The Broncos will travel to Raleigh, N.C., to compete against Northern Division opponents in the CIAA Softball Round-Up, hosted by Shaw University. The three-day event will take place March 26–28 at the Walnut Creek Softball Complex. Fans can visit fsubroncos.com for the complete schedule and game times.
