Boshia Richardson led Morgan State with a 2-for-2 performance at the plate and a walk in the opener against Norfolk State.
Norfolk State 5, Morgan State 3
Morgan State 0, Coppin State 6
ORMOND BEACH, Fla. (May 12, 2011)-The Morgan State Lady Bears softball team returned to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship for the first time in three years on Thursday and quickly exited the tournament, following a tough 5-3 opening round loss to Norfolk State, before falling 6-0 in an elimination game to rival Coppin State.
Heading into Thursday morning's contest against Norfolk State, the Lady Bears had not qualified for the MEAC championship since 2008, when they were eliminated by Norfolk State, following a 3-2 loss in 10 innings.
Morgan State (16-27) fell behind 3-0 in the third inning when the No. 3 seeded Spartans out the South Division scored three runs on three hits and a Morgan error.
The Lady Bears finally got on the board in the fifth inning when Tiffany Rubin singled to shortstop, scoring Devina Brown.
Morgan State went back to work in the sixth inning adding two more runs to even the score at 3-3. A throwing error by Norfolk State allowed Lydia Walther-Rodriguez to score from third and Sakina Smith followed with an RBI single up the middle to drive in Shareday Christina and tie the game at 3-3.
But the Lady Bears' comeback would be short lived, as Norfolk State (23-23) would score two runs on – Holland's two-run single to right field, which proved to be the difference.
Pomeroy picked up the win for the Spartans to improve to 13-8 on the season with the complete game victory. Pomeroy surrendered three runs on eight hits and finished with three strikeouts, two walks and two hit batters.
In Game 2 the Lady Bears would face their crosstown rivals Coppin State in an elimination game. It would be all Coppin State, as Eagle pitcher Paige Arnold (15-10) went the distance, striking out nine in a two-hit, two walk performance, while going 3-for-3, three runs and two RBI.
Jordan Eades suffered the loss for Morgan State, concluding the season with an 11-19 record. Eades finished with two strikeouts in six innings of work.
Coppin State (17-15), which was coming off a 3-1 opening round loss to Florida A&M, pounded out 11 hits. The third-seeded Eagles out of the MEAC North quickly took a 3-0 lead in the first inning on a two-run double by Arnold. Arnold later scored on a double to left field hit by Jade Dudley for the 3-0 lead.
The Eagles added a run in the third inning, before striking for two more in the fifth on a RBI bunt by Tiffani Whaley and a ground out by Carmen Frazier to score Arnold for the 6-0 cushion.
Coppin State moves on to face Norfolk State, which was a 6-3 loser to defending champion Bethune-Cookman. First pitch will be Friday, May 13 at 10 a.m.
