WASHINGTON (March 26, 2022) – Howard University softball team swept Saturday's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) doubleheader versus Coppin State (CSU) at Washington Nationals Youth Academy in southeast D.C. HU won game one in five innings, 12-0, and pulled away in the nightcap to complete the sweep, 10-3.
GAME ONE (Howard 12, Coppin State 0 [f/5])
In the opener, HU produced 12 runs on 13 hits, led by MEAC Preseason Player of the Year
Camille Navarro (Los Angeles) going 3-of-4 with a pair of runs scored.
Howard scored five times in the first inning, capped by off a two-run blast from freshman standout
Alyssa Vasquez (Downey, Calif.), 5-0.
Next inning, the Bison tallied six runs and ballooned the margin to double digits after two innings of play, 11-0.
In the fourth,
Lealani Ricks (Madera, Calif.) added another run, thanks to an RBI-walk.
Vasquez, fellow classmate
Payton Quinonez (Tulare, Calif.) and senior
Kalita Dennis (Elk Grove, Calif.) each had two hits apiece in the win.
In the circle, rookie
Mia Gonzales (Atwater, Calif.) threw four scoreless innings while striking out five Eagles in the victory.
GAME TWO (Howard 10, Coppin State 3)
Howard managed 10 runs on seven hits in the nightcap, led by Dennis going 2-of-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.
HU took the early advantage, tallying three runs in the opening frame, 3-0.
Top two, CSU's Shawnee Ronyak delivered an RBI-single and put Coppin State on the board, 3-1, but the Bison responded with a run of their own and extended the lead back to three after two innings, 4-1.
Next inning, the Eagles scored twice and cut the margin to one after three, 4-3.
Howard pulled away in the fifth, registering five runs, including Navarro's two-run triple that give the Bison a 9-3 edge going into the sixth.
HU added an insurance run in the sixth and closed the door on CSU.
Dennis, Navarro and third-year Bison
Natalie Davila (Carson, Calif.) each had two RBIs in the win.
Graduate pitcher
Analise De La Roca (San Pedro, Calif.) earned her seventh victory of the year, tossing a complete game and striking out six batters.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
HU and Coppin State wrap up the series Sunday (March 27) with a seven-inning contest, scheduled for noon at Washington Nationals Youth Academy.
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at
www.HUBison.com.