SUMMARY   
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -The University of Maryland Eastern Shore softball team closed its stretch in North Carolina with a doubleheader sweep of Johnson C. Smith. The Hawks defeated the Golden Bulls 8-2 in Game 1 and 14-2 in Game 2 in Charlotte, N.C.

Across the two games, UMES totaled 26 hits and 18 RBIs. Makalah Clark led the Hawks in Game 1 with three hits, including a triple, while Dani Brown tossed four innings and struck out seven in the 8-2 victory.
In the 14-2 win, Aylena Thompson, Gabriella Beltran and Amaya Nunez paced the offense, combining to go 9-for-11 at the plate.

THE SCORE 
Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (3–6, 0–0 MEAC) — 8
Johnson C. Smith (11–11, 0–0 CIAA) —  2

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (4–6, 0–0 MEAC) — 14
Johnson C. Smith (11–11, 0–0 CIAA) —  2

HOW IT HAPPENED 
GAME ONE
Johnson C. Smith struck first, scoring its only two runs of the game in the bottom of the third inning.

UMES responded with a four-run fourth to take control. Gabriella Beltran doubled to left field, driving in Clarke Calvin to cut the deficit to 2-1. Amaya Nunez followed with a double to center field to score Beltran and tie the game. Paris Richards then delivered a two-run double to right, plating Aylena Thompson and Nunez to give the Hawks a 4-2 advantage.

The Hawks added two more runs in the sixth inning. Makalah Clark tripled to left field to score Jada Lacey and Skylar Skinner followed with an RBI single to left that brought Clark home, extending the lead to 6-2.

UMES tacked on two final runs in the seventh. Clark singled to center to score Lola Meyer, and Lacey added an RBI groundout to center field to plate Clark and make it 8-2.

Chloe Weber earned the start in the circle, tossing three innings and allowing two hits, two runs and one walk. Dani Brown appeared in relief, throwing four innings while surrendering just one hit. She faced 14 batters and struck out seven.

GAME TWO
UMES carried its momentum into Game 2, erupting for five runs in the opening inning. Lola Meyer doubled to left field to score Clarke Calvin and Aylena Thompson. Amaya Nunez reached on an error that allowed Meyer to cross the plate, making it 3-0. Gabriella Beltran added another RBI double to left to score Nunez. The final run of the inning came when Araceli Manzo reached on an error at first base, which allowed Beltran to score and gave the Hawks a 5-0 lead.

The Golden Bulls plated their only two runs of the game in the bottom of the first.

In the third inning, Manzo reached on an error that scored Beltran. Clark grounded out to advance Manzo as the Hawks extended their lead to 7-2.

A four-run fourth inning put the game out of reach. Nunez doubled to score Paris Richards and a wild pitch brought Nunez home. Thompson followed with a line-drive double to right field, scoring Beltran and Calvin to stretch the lead to 11-2.

UMES sealed the 14-2 run-rule victory in the final frame. Nunez tripled to center field to score Ryleigh Lilly and Beltran capped the scoring with a two-run home run to left field.

BY THE NUMBERS
Makala Clark hit her first triple of the season in Game 1 against the Golden Bulls.

Gabriella Beltran hit her first home run of the season in the fifth inning of Game 2 against Johnson C. Smith.

Dani Brown's seven strikeouts marked a season high and improves her season total to 14 strikeouts on the year which leads the team.

Aylena Thompson recorded her first double of the season after going 4-for-4 at the plate in Game 2 against the Golden Bulls.

NEXT UP 
UMES returns to Princess Anne, Md., to host Holy Cross in a doubleheader Wednesday, March 4 at 1 and 3 p.m.