SALISBURY, Md. (April 16, 2023)--After dropping its first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) series of the season, following a doubleheader loss the day before, the Morgan State softball team took out its frustration on Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) in the series finale on Sunday.
 
Morgan State would put together its biggest scoring output of the season, as it scored 17 runs on 11 hits, defeating the host Hawks, 17-0 in five innings at Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex.
 
The Lady Bears improved to 21-17 overall, 11-3 in the MEAC, while UMES fell to 12-20, 8-5 MEAC.

The victory was the eighth shutout win this season for Morgan State and was the perfect way to celebrate head coach Larry Hinelline, who became the program's all-time winningest coach with 162 victories.
 
Offensively, Morgan State's bats came alive, as it finished with 17 runs on 11 hits, had eight walks and recorded 13 RBI. Eight different Lady Bears recorded a hit. Melissa Paz led the way, going 2-for-4 with a game-high 4 RBI, while Victoria Fletcher also went 2-for-4 and had 3 RBI. Nia Lewis finished 2-for-2 with two runs and Asia Thomas scored a game-high three runs. Sarah Tuzinski drew a game-high four walks.
 
Leading 2-0 after the first inning, the Lady Bears blew the game open with a six-run second inning, highlighted by a three-run doubled down the left field line hit by Paz to make it an 8-0 game.
 
Anaya Hunte picked up the win to improve to 13-8 on the season. The junior pitcher allowed four hits and two walks, while striking out two in five innings.
 
The Hawks' Ameenah Ballenger fell to 7-10, after surrendering 14 runs on nine hits, while walking six batters and throwing three strikeouts in 4.1 innings.
 
The Lady Bears will return home to host George Washington in a non-conference game on Wednesday, April 19 at 2 p.m. at Lois T. Murray Field.
 
 
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.