DURHAM, N.C. – Seryna Esparza and
Vanessa Carrizosa led Coppin State's softball team to a 7-1 victory in game two of a doubleheader at North Carolina Central University on Friday afternoon at Thomas Brook Park. After dropping the opener earlier, Coppin is now 11-12 overall and 6-2 in the MEAC while NCCU stands at 9-24 on the year and 5-3 in league play.
Game 1: NC Central def. Coppin State, 5-0
Aniyah Haley and
Manaia Fonoti each had a pair of hits with Haley also drawing two walks to finish 2-for-2 in the opener.
Seryna Esparza and
Brooklyn Tapusoa also had base hits, but the Eagles left a whopping 14 runners on base.
Emily Quintero went the distance in the circle, allowing four earned runs on nine hits while striking out two in 6.0 innings.
NC Central scored a pair of runs in the first, coming on a two-run double before Quintero got a 1-2-3 second. The hosts scored three more in the third but Quintero held them scoreless the rest of the way.
Coppin threatened in every inning, leaving the bases loaded in the first and third innings. Two runners were stranded in the second, fourth and fifth innings, and one in both the sixth and seventh innings.
Game 2: Coppin State def. NC Central, 7-1
Seryna Esparza went 2-for-2 with a home run, two runs scored, two RBI and two walks to lead the Coppin offense which had ten base hits.
Aniyah Haley and
Avianna Peterson also had multi-hit games while scoring and driving in one apiece.
Manaia Fonoti and
Julianna Mejia both drove in runs with Mejia connecting for a double.
Carrizosa earned the complete game victory, allowing just one run on seven hits while striking out five.
Coppin got out quickly after being shut out in game one, scoring four runs in the first inning. Haley started the game with a bunt single and stole second base. Fonoti drove her in with a single up the middle and scored as Esparza found the gap up the middle. An error allowed Esparza to get to third , and after
Giselle Ulloa was plunked and stole second, Esparza scored as
Brooklyn Tapusoa grounded out. Ulloa easily scored as Mejia doubled down the left field line to make it a 4-0 score.
Carrizosa faced the minimum in the first and stranded two runners in the second and third before CSU added a run on Haley's RBI single to left. Scoring on the play was Peterson who had doubled to left center.
Esparza led off the fifth with a home run to right center, and that was more than enough for Carrizosa, who allowed a run in the bottom half but retired the final five batters of the game.
Up Next: Coppin and NC Central wrap up the series on Saturday, March 30 in a 12 pm start.
