GAME 1 | Fayetteville State 11, Winston-Salem 7
WINSTON-SALEM, NC -- Jazzmyn Ohlson delivered the defining swing of the afternoon, racking up four RBIs and igniting Fayetteville State to an 11–7 victory over Winston-Salem State in game one of Friday's softball doubleheader.
The Broncos improved to 12–13 overall and 4–3 in CIAA play by scoring in six different innings and answering every Rams rally with timely offense. After the teams traded leads twice, Fayetteville State seized control for good in the middle innings behind Ohlson's power and steady relief pitching.
Fayetteville State struck first in the opening frame when Cheyenne Payne singled, stole second and came around to score on a Tiara Stueck RBI base hit to give the Broncos an early 1–0 edge. Winston-Salem State quickly countered with a three-run bottom of the first, highlighted by run-scoring hits from Asyah Smith and Makayla Vinson, to move ahead 3–1.
The Broncos chipped away in the second as Ohlson tripled and scored on Aniya Caldwell's RBI groundout, trimming the deficit to one. However, a solo home run in the bottom half allowed the Rams to maintain a 4–2 advantage heading into the third.
Momentum swung decisively in the third inning. Payne doubled to get things started and Fayetteville State loaded the bases before Ohlson stepped in and launched a grand slam off Koralie Morin, sending four runs across the plate and giving the Broncos a 6–4 lead. Winston-Salem State responded with back-to-back home runs from Riley Demers and Vinson in the bottom of the inning, evening the score at 6–6 as the back-and-forth contest continued.
The turning point came in the fourth when Xztashya Porter tripled and scored on a fielder's choice, allowing Fayetteville State to reclaim the lead at 7–6. From there, the Broncos leaned on Tamarah Lowery, who delivered 4.1 innings of effective relief, limiting the Rams to one run on four hits while striking out four and issuing no walks.
Fayetteville State stretched its lead in the sixth courtesy of Payne's RBI groundout, then put the game away in the seventh. Tiara Stueck doubled to set the stage, and Treja Patterson followed with a three-run home run to left, pushing the advantage to 11–7 and sealing the opener.
Ohlson finished 2-for-3 with a triple, a home run, a walk and four RBIs to lead the Broncos. Patterson went 2-for-4 with her late three-run homer, while Payne added two hits, including a double, and drove in two runs. Stueck also compiled three hits as four Fayetteville State players recorded multi-hit performances.
Kevana Deberry earned the win to move to 6–3 on the season after starting in the circle and working 2.2 innings. Lowery's strong relief outing helped stabilize the game as Fayetteville State pitchers combined to face 33 Winston-Salem State hitters.
For the Rams, Asyah Smith led the offense with a 3-for-4 outing that included a double, a home run and two RBIs. Nevaeh Cruz worked one inning in relief, allowing three runs.
With explosive power at the plate and composure in the circle, Fayetteville State set the tone in the doubleheader by claiming game one and carrying momentum into the nightcap.
