May 7, 2009

Stats

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. - After grabbing their first 20 win season in over 10 years, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) softball team was knocked out of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) tournament by North Carolina A&T University (NCAT) Thursday afternoon in the Ormond Beach Sports Complex. NCAT rallied in the final two innings to defeat the Lady Hawks 11-2 in six innings. UMES (20-17) finished the season over .500 for the first time since 1996.

With two outs in the bottom of the second inning, NCAT's Bianca Alsobrook reached on an error by the left fielder that scored Jennifer Luper from second. Alsobrook would advance to second on the play and then move to third on a passed ball. Freshman pitcher Inde Whitehurst (Virginia Beach, Va.) then walked the bases loaded before the Lady Aggies flew out the inning.

Kendra Saunders (Mississauga, Canada) hit a single to left, starting a UMES rally in the fourth. She then scored from first base to tie the game at one all when Mishayla Truttman (Gresham, Ore.) reached on an error by the short stop. Truttman moved to second on the play.

Truttman was thrown out at home by the center fielder, after Kayla Nelson (Apple Valley, Calif.) singled up the middle.

The Lady Aggies pulled away in the fifth, pushing five runs across on five hits to go ahead 6-1. Eastern Shore native Hannah Mills (Parksley, Va.) tripled to start the sixth inning for UMES and scored on a sac fly by Truttman.

Mills, Saunders and Nelson each finished the day 1-for-3. Ebony Hahn (Groveport, Ohio) and Chelsea Logan (Trenton, N.J.) also recorded hits in the game for the Lady Hawks.

NCAT pushed two runs across in the bottom of the inning before Mills took over on the mound with runners on first and second.

After Luper singled to right, both Tangala Conover and Lillian Bullock scored to end the contest early. NCAT (25-22) moves on in the tournament with Sasha Philpot (10-10) earning the win. Whitehurst (10-6) received the loss.