CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (February 23, 2025) – Howard University softball team wrapped up the weekend with a pair of losses at the Mary Nutter Classic. HU dropped game one to Long Beach State, 9-1 (f/6), followed by a 10-2 (F/6) setback against Loyola-Marymount (LMU).
 
HOWARD 1, LONG BEACH STATE 9 (F/6)
 
HU produced four hits against Long Beach State, led by second-year Bison Angel Riggins (San Diego) going 2-of-3 with an RBI.
 
After a scoreless first inning, Long Beach State scored twice to take a 2-0 lead after two.
 
Top four, The Beach extended their lead with a score in the fourth, 3-0, followed by two more runs in the fifth, 6-0.
 
Long Beach State produced three scores in the sixth, taking a 9-0 advantage into the bottom half.
 
Riggins delivered an RBI-single up-the-middle in HU's final at-bat, driving home senior infielder Lealani Ricks (Madera, Calif.), 9-1.
 
Sophomores Cheyenne Castille (Eastvale, Calif.) and Wisdom Colbert (Jacksonville, Fla.) each recorded a hit in the loss.
 
HOWARD 2, LMU 10 (F/6)
 
In the nightcap, HU manufactured two runs on six hits with senior catcher Alyssa Vasquez (Eastvale, Calif.) going 2-of-3 with an RBI-double in the setback.
 
Howard pounced on LMU early, thanks to Vasquez's RBI-double driving home sophomore Merci Hart (Los Angeles), 1-0.
 
MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) Preseason Pitcher of the Year junior Julia Holt (Tucson, Ariz.) got the starting nod where she tossed two scoreless innings to open the contest.
 
Top three, LMU got on the board with a six-run inning, capped off by a grand slam from Arianna Jauregui, 6-1.
 
Loyola-Marymount scored twice to extend its lead in the fifth, 8-1, but Riggins' RBI-single closed the deficit to six after five, 8-2.
 
Next inning, LMU's Mika Chong finished the contest in sixth with a two-run homer, 10-2.
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
 
Thursday (Feb. 27)-Saturday (March 1), HU heads to Manoa, Hawaii, to compete in the Outrigger Invitational.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.