ORMOND BEACH, Fla. (May 9, 2019) – Howard University softball outlasted and eliminated the North Carolina A&T State (NCAT) Aggies in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament with a 7-5 victory. HU meets North Carolina Central for the third time this season in the MEAC Semifinals Friday, May 10 at 3 p.m. inside the Ormond Beach Sports Complex.
"We are young, and that youth showed in [today's] first game against B-CU [Bethune-Cookman]," said Howard Softball head coach
Tori Tyson. "I am so impressed with our ability compete and grind out a win 30 minutes later."
Howard (18-28) manufactured seven runs on 12 hits, led by MEAC Rookie of the Year
Kalita Dennis (Elk Grove, Calif.) going 3-of-4 with a solo homer in the fifth. Dennis,
Camille Navarro (Los Angeles) and
Breanna Robinson (Buena Park, Calif.) each had two RBIs in the win.
The MEAC's top hitting attack jumped out to a 4-0 advantage, highlighted by a two-run double from Robinson in the first, 4-0.
NCAT responded with three unearned runs in the second and sliced the margin to one, 4-3.
After Dennis' solo shot to right extended the lead, 5-3, North Carolina A&T State tied the contest, 5-5, forcing Coach Tyson to the bullpen.
"Mackenzi [Steele] has done her job of keeping us in every game," Tyson added. "And Tracy [Mosley] is Tracy, an absolute competitor. She came in with the game on the line and just flat out competed."
Top six, Dennis delivered the go-ahead run with an RBI-double down the left field line, bringing junior
Kamryn Tillman (Snellville, Ga.) home, 6-5. Navarro, All-MEAC honoree, added an insurance run with a ground out to second to send fellow classmate
Sienna Herrera (Corona, Calif.) across, 7-5.
From that point, newcomer
Tracy Mosley (Jonesboro, Ga.) tossed a gem, throwing 2.2 innings of scoreless softball and picking up her sixth victory of the year.
For NCAT (9-31), they generated five runs on six hits in a losing effort.
With a victory over the Lady Eagles, Howard squares off against the loser between Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M Friday (May 10). First-pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at
www.HUBison.com.
