Fielding Error, Passed Ball Allows Howard to Beat Morgan, 1-0

Morgan State 0, Howard 1

BALTIMORE, Md. (April 20, 2012)-The Howard softball team scored its lone run of the game on a passed ball and that was all pitcher Samantha Gatson needed, as the Lady Bison defeated visiting Morgan State, 1-0 in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) North Division game on Friday afternoon. The contest, which was a home game for Howard, was played at Morgan State's Lois T. Murray Field due to scheduling conflicts at Howard's home field.

Howard (8-31, 5-5 MEAC) got on the board in the bottom of the first inning, when Lorae Robinson led off by reaching base on a fielding error by Morgan State at first base and advanced to second on the play. Robinson then reached third when Rebecca Kirshner grounded out to first and scored on a passed ball during Andascha Moore-Pryor's at bat, giving the Lady Bison a 1-0 lead.

That would be just enough cushion Howard would need, as Gatson, who improved to 2-18 on the season, held Morgan State to just one hit and had three walks in seven innings pitched.

Morgan State's (7-20, 1-9 MEAC) lone hit would come in the fourth inning when the Lady Bears' Tiffany Rubin took Gatson's pitch down the left field line, tying the game up at 1-1. However, the Howard coaching staff and several players on the field argued the call, which was originally ruled a homerun. After further discussion, the umpires changed the call to a ground rule double, stating that since the outfield fence did not extend all the way to connect with the third base side fence, it could not be determined if the ball was high enough to have cleared the fence.

Nonetheless, the Morgan State bench had come to life and the Lady Bears' next batter, Boshia Richardson stepped to the plate and was hit by a pitch. But Gatson and the Lady Bison were able to get out of the inning unharmed, as she got Amber Bachman to ground out to shortstop to end the inning.

Bachman (3-8) was charged with the loss for Morgan State. She allowed a run on three hits and had a game-high three strikeouts.

Morgan State, which has now lost seven consecutive games and eight straight MEAC contests, mathematically is still alive to qualify for next month's MEAC championships, but the Lady Bears have their work cut out.

BEAR CLAWS: Game 2 of Friday's doubleheader was suspended prior to the start of the eighth inning with the score tied at 6-6. Morgan State, which trailed 6-2 after five innings, put up two runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh to even the score and force extra innings. The game is scheduled to resume on Saturday, April 21 at 11:30 a.m. at Lois T. Murray Field.

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