BALTIMORE, Md. (April 20, 2022)-Morgan State closed out its five-game homestand going unbeaten, following Wednesday's non-conference doubleheader sweep of Rider at Lois T. Murray Field. The Lady Bears won the first game 5-1 and took the second game by the identical 5-1 score.
 
The Lady Bears, who are on a season-long eight-game winning streak, improved to 23-13 on the season, while Rider, which is on a four-game losing skid, dropped to 23-17.
 
Game 1
Rider struck first in the second inning when Gianna Epps singled up the middle to score Kaitlin Vazquez to give the guests a 1-0 lead. The Broncs would hold on to that advantage until the bottom of the fifth inning, when Morgan State erupted for five runs on two hits to take a 5-1 lead.
 
Melissa Paz led off the inning with a homer to left field to even the score at 1-1 and breakup Rider starting pitcher Ysabellah Otero's no-hit bid through four innings. It was the first homer of the season for Paz. After the next batter Kateriina Delph was hit by a pitch, the Broncs made some infield substitutions and brought in relief pitcher Brooklyn Trujillo-Quintana. Delph would steal second and Irene Martin followed by getting hit by a pitch. Madison Bolyea reached on a pinch hit fielder's choice and Delph ended up scoring on a throwing error on the Rider catcher, putting Morgan up 2-1.
 
Asia Thomas stepped to the plate and doubled to right center, scoring both Martin and Ky'Anah Lake for a 4-1 advantage still with no outs. Thomas would later score the fifth run of the inning when Tayven Rousseau grounded out to shortstop to give the Lady Bears the 5-1 lead.
 
Emily Raubuch (2-3) got the win for Morgan State, surrendering a run on four hits and striking out two batters in five innings. Anaya Hunte came in as relief in the sixth inning and closed the door on the Broncs, pitching two scoreless and hitless innings, while throwing two strikeouts to record her 98^th strikeout of the season.
 
Paz and Thomas each went 1-for-3 with a run. Thomas had a game-high two RBIs.
 
Rider's Jessie Niegocki was charged with the loss, falling to 4-3 on the season. Niegocki surrendered two runs on two runs and struck out a game-high six batters in four innings.
 
Game 2
It was Morgan State which struck first in the nightcap, taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Thomas stole third and scored on a throwing error on Rider's catcher for a 1-0 lead. Madison Nunez flied out to right field to score Mia Ewell for the 2-0 advantage.
 
Grace Stansfield scored in the second inning when Kristyn Gardner reached on a fielder's choice, to cut the Morgan lead in half at 2-1. That would be all the scoring for the Broncs, as the hosts would add two more runs in the fourth and another in the fifth for the game's 5-1 score.

Paz doubled in the fourth to score Aliya Ewell and Bolyea scored on a Delph grounder hit to short for the 4-1 lead.
 
Morgan ended the scoring in the fifth inning when Mia Ewell singled to center field to score Thomas.
 
Mia Ewell finished the game with a team-high two hits, a run and RBI, while Thomas had a game-high two runs and added a walk. Aliya Ewell and Bolyea each scored a run.
 
Sarah Tuzinski got the win for Morgan State to improve to 2-0 on the season. Tuzinski allowed a run on three hits and struck out two in four innings of work. Victoria Fletcher pitched two innings of relief and totaled a strikeout and one hit, while Paz ended the game throwing two strikeouts and had a walk in an inning of work.
 
Rider's starting pitcher Anna-Marie Groskritz was fell to 8-8 on the season with the loss. She gave up five runs on three hits, allowed two walks and struck out three batters in four innngs.
 
Niegocki collected two of the Broncs' four hits, while Stansfield and Kellie Ervin each had a hit.
 
Next Up
Morgan State returns to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play this weekend when it travels to Orangeburg, S.C. to face South Carolina State (3-31, 2-13 MEAC). The series gets underway on Saturday, April 23 with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. and concludes on Sunday with a single game at noon.