SALISBURY, Md. (April 15, 2023)--The Morgan State softball traveled to Maryland's Eastern Shore to face the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) doubleheader on Saturday.
 
The host Hawks would sweep the doubleheader, winning the opener 8-7 in nine innings, before claiming a 3-2 on the final at bat in Game 2. Both contests were played at Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex in Salisbury, Md., as Hawk Field on the UMES campus in Princess Anne, Md. is under renovation.
 
UMES improved to 12-19, 8-4 MEAC, while Morgan State dropped to 20-17, 10-3 MEAC.
 
The losses, matched Morgan State's season-long losing skid at four. The Lady Bears would suffer their first MEAC series loss of the season and first since dropping 2-of-3 to Howard last season.
 
The Hawks' wins also ended a five-game losing skid to Morgan State dating back to the 2020 season. The last time UMES defeated the Lady Bears was a 5-3 victory in Princess Anne (4/19/19).
 
Game 1
Madison Nunez singled down the right field line to score Asia Thomas and Mia Ewell. Madison Bolyea grounded out to the pitcher to score Ky'Anah Lake, as Morgan State jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first inning.
 
The Hawks got a run back in the bottom of the first to pull within 3-1, but the Lady Bears countered with two runs in the third.
 
Victoria Fletcher homered to left field and Bolyea tripled to center field to score Anaya Hunte, giving Morgan State a 5-1 advantage.
 
UMES responded by scoring the next four runs, two in the third and two in the sixth to even the score at 5-5. Katelyn Smitchko continued the Hawks' scoring with a solo homer to center field in the sixth inning. Jaycee Holt singled through the right side to score Morea Hodge to even the score at five runs apiece.
 
Morgan State reclaimed the lead at 6-5 when Mia Ewell scored on a wild pitch in the seventh. However, UMES would force extra innings when Smitchko singled to right field to even the score at 6-6 and force extra innings.
 
After both teams scored a run in the eighth, the Hawks would win the contest on Smitchko's triple to right center, scoring McKenzie Abiley for the game winner.
 
The Hawks would pound out 16 hits, scoring eight runs and recording 7 RBI.
 Holt went 3-for-5 with a game-high three runs and a RBI, while Smitchko finished 3-for-5 with a run and 3 RBI. Hodge was 3-for4 with a run.
 
Ameenah Ballenger improved to 7-9 with the win and threw a game-high 10 strikeouts.
 
Morgan State's Emily Raubuch was tagged with the loss after allowing a run on a hit, while throwing two strikeouts in 2/3 innings. Starting pitcher Anaya Hunte recorded five strikeouts and surrendered seven runs on 15 hits in 7.1 innings of work.
 
Game 2
The Lady Bears again struck first, scoring a run each in the first and fifth innings to take a 2-0 lead. Melissa Paz got the Lady Bears on the board in the first inning, when she singled up the middle to score Victoria Fletcher. Madison Nunez grounded out to the pitcher in the fifth, which scored Chandler Mitchell for the 2-0 lead.
 
The Hawks got on the board with two runs in the sixth to even the score at 2-2. Katelyn Smitchko singled to second base to score Ameenah Ballenger and Kiyaira Hicks later doubled to left field to bring home Ryan Merriwether for the tying run.
 
Merriwether, who went 3-for-4 with a run and RBI, would win the game for the host Hawks when she doubled to right center, scoring Kelsie Ekstrom for the game winner.
 
UMES finished with three runs on 11 hits, while Morgan State has held to just three hits.
 
Ekstrom went 2-for-4 with a run and Hicks finished 2-for-3 with a RBI. Smitchko (5-10), who got the win for the Hawks, surrendered two runs on three hits, four walks and tallied a strikeout in seven innings.
 
Morgan State's Victoria Fletcher (7-3) tossed a game-high five strikeouts.
 
Morgan State and UMES will conclude the three-game series on Sunday, April 16 at noon at Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex.  


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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.