Box Score CARY, N.C. (April 29, 2023)--The Morgan State softball team moved a step closer to defending its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) regular season title, following a 5-0 Game 1 victory on the road at North Carolina Central at Thomas Brooks Park.
 
Morgan State moved to 23-19, 13-4 in the MEAC with the win, while the Eagles fell to 14-30, 12-6 MEAC. It was the first meeting between the two teams since Morgan State delivered a 28-0 thumping to NCCU in the quarterfinal round of last season's MEAC Championships.
 
The Lady Bears and NCCU entered Saturday's doubleheader each with 12 MEAC victories and a chance to win the regular season crown and wrap up the No. 1 seed in the upcoming MEAC championship tournament.
 
Norfolk State (22-19, 12-6 MEAC) also entered Saturday with 12 league victories and had an outside chance of winning the regular season title depending on its series against Maryland Eastern Shore and the outcome of the Morgan-NCCU series.
 
Both Morgan State and NCCU own the tiebreaker over Norfolk State.
 
On Saturday, the Lady Bears would score five runs on seven hits for the win. It would be Morgan State's eighth shutout victory this season against MEAC opposition. Morgan State struck first when Fletcher doubled to left field to score Asia Thomas. Fletcher later scored on a single through the right side to score Anaya Hunte for a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
 
The guests would add another run in the fifth inning when Thomas scored the third run of the game when the Eagles' second baseman had a fielding error on a ball hit by Fletcher.
 
Morgan State closed out the scoring, adding two more runs in the seventh for the 5-0 advantage. Thomas, scored her third run of the game on a throwing error by the centerfielder. Mia Ewell doubled to left field and advanced to third on a throwing error by the centerfielder and would score all on the play to increase the Lady Bears' lead to 5-0.
 
Hunte (15-8) picked up her 15^th win of the season, while Ashanti Eubanks fell to 6-14 with the loss. Hunte pitched a complete game, surrendering five hits, four walks and struck out a game-high nine.
 
Eubanks also went the distance and was charged with five runs on seven hits, six walks and threw five strikeouts.
 
Offensively, Hunte helped herself by going 2-for-3 with a walk and RBI. Fletcher finished 1-for-4 with 2RBI and a run, while Ewell was 1-for-3 with a run. Maia Wilkins went 1-for-1. Paz tallied a game-high three walks and Thomas finished with two walks. Thomas also led the way with a game-high four stolen bases.
 
Makiya Graves batted 3-for-4 at the plate to lead the Eagles. Jaylah Barr had two walks.   


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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.