BALTIMORE – Coppin State's softball team picked up four consecutive wins last week, defeating Howard in a midweek before sweeping Delaware State before dropping a tilt to Delaware on Wednesday. Following the impressive week, the Eagles sit at 8-24 overall and 5-10 in MEAC play. They look to get back on track as they host the Eagles of North Carolina Central University in a three-game series on April 22-23.
Focusing on the CSU Eagles
Last week, the Eagles finished their series against Howard by picking up a 6-1 victory. In this game, the Eagles tallied six runs on seven hits, three walks, and totaled four RBIs. The Eagles were led by freshmen
Seryna Esparza and
Manaia Fonoti who tallied two hits and a home run each. In the circle,
Vanessa Carrizosa pitched a complete game, giving up one run on four hits and not allowing any walks.
In the three games against the Hornets last weekend, the Eagles were led at the plate by freshman
Celeste Gonzales. Gonzales tallied five hits, four runs, and one RBI in the series. After last week's games, she sits at a .221 batting average while leading the team with nine extra-base hits and 12 RBI.
Brissa Alvarado also had five hits on the weekend leaving her with 27 hits on the season. Tallying four hits on the weekend,
Manaia Fonoti continued her hitting success, upping her average to .237.
In the circle, the Eagles pitched both
Isabel Tobias and
Vanessa Carrizosa in two out of three games. Carrizosa pitched a complete game one only giving up two hits, with zero runs, and one walked batter. She now stands at 8-10 with ten complete games and has accumulated a 3.46 earned run average in 113.1 innings of work.
Tobias pitched 3.1 innings in games two and three and allowed five hits and two runs. She added three strikeouts and has an ERA of 5.28 in 48.1 innings.
A look at the NCCU Eagles
North Carolina Central currently has a record of 13-26 overall and 11-2 in MEAC competition. Earlier in the season, the Eagles picked up a big upset win at NC State with a 10-3 victory.
The Eagles are led at the plate by
Makiya Graves who has a .370 batting average, 44 hits, and 25 runs scored on the season. The Eagles have two players that lead the team with seven homeruns in
Ivory Jones and
Maegan Garrison. Freshman first baseman
Takia Nichols leads the Eagles with an OPS of 1.037, a slugging percentage of .578, and an on base percentage of .459.
The Central pitching staff splits their work mostly between two pitchers,
Jaden Davis, and
Ashanti Eubanks. In Davis's 110.2 innings pitched she has an ERA of 3.54 and a WHIP of 1.49. She has struck out 66 batters this season and holds opponents to a .263 batting average.
How to Follow
Game one of the series is set for Saturday, April 22 at 11:00am. Games two and three will be a doubleheader on Sunday, April 23 at 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm.
Sunday is Coppin State's senior day. There will be three players honored prior to the start of the first game in
Brissa Alvarado,
Avianna Peterson and
Shawnee Ronyak.
Live stats for all three games will be available at
www.coppinstatesports.com
