WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the sun blazing high in the sky, the Howard University softball team split a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) doubleheader with Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday afternoon at the Nationals Youth Academy. The Bison fought back late in the series opener to claim a 3-2 win before falling in the nightcap 9-4.
Howard moved to 3-34 overall and 3-14 in the MEAC while the Hawks have a 10-24 overall record and 4-12 mark conference play.
GAME ONE
Righty ace Alex Flynn picked up her third victory of the season after she tossed a complete game. She gave up two runs (one earned) on four hits with three strikeouts.
Kamryn Tillman and Jasmine Gibson each notched a hit and run in the outing. Deja Henderson recorded a RBI while Alannah Baiyina had a run and Flynn had a hit.
Pitcher Adrienne Guerra (7-12) had the loss after throwing six innings for the Hawks. She let in three runs (one earned) and three hits to go along with nine strikeouts.
It was MDES that struck first after the squad stacked the bags on a pair of singles and error in the fourth. The Hawks used a walk and ground out to pull ahead 2-0.
The bottom of the sixth proved to be a wild one for both teams. Tillman started the frame with a strong single to right field and then stole second. Baiyina walked and Gibson singled to load the bases.
Up next, Henderson's sacrifice fly brought Tillman in. Although the Hawks fielded the ball cleanly, the left fielder muffed the throw to third, which allowed Baiyina to score and tie the game at 2-2. Meanwhile, Gibson was making her way around the bases and sprinted home for the game-winning run.
MDES tried to regroup in the seventh but the Bison retired the side in order to seal with victory.
GAME TWO
The Hawks quickly got out in front in the opening frame on a RBI single and wild pitch for a 2-0 edge. The visitors added three more runs with a throwing error in the third, wild pitch in the fifth and RBI single in the sixth.
Chloe Lyon got the offense going as she roped a double in the bottom of the sixth and advanced third on a fly out. Alex Flynn stepped up to the plate and singled to get Lyon in and bring the score to 5-1.
Unfortunately, MDES responded in the seventh with four runs on a pair of singles and a wild pitch to increase its advantage to 9-1.
In the final frame, Howard tallied three runs on four hits. Kamryn Tillman and Alannah Baiyina each singled to put two on for the Bison. Milan Poindexter's single to right field got Tillman across the plate. Lyon caught the Hawks sleeping on defense to push a single up the middle and send Baiyina and Poindexter home for a final 9-4 margin.
Lyon paced the Bison with two hits, two RBI and a run, followed by Poindexter with two hits, one RBI and one run. Baiyina also had two hits and one run. Tillman finished with one hit and one run while Flynn had a hit and RBI.
Alexa Walker (0-17) tossed six innings for five runs (one earned) on seven hits and two strikeouts in the loss. Monica Thompson tossed one inning of relief and allowed four runs and two hits.
UP NEXT
Howard will play a rubber match with MDES on Sunday, Apr. 30 to close out the 2017 season. First pitch is scheduled for noon.
