Morgan State University Athletics

NORFOLK, Va. (April 9, 2024)--The Morgan State softball team entered Thursday's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) elimination game with a bit of déjà vu. Just like last year, the top-seeded Lady Bears were playing the sixth-seeded Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Hawks in an elimination game.
 
This time it would be Morgan State moving on and advancing, as the Lady Bears avenged last season's loss to the Hawks by defeating UMES, 7-4 at NSU Softball Field.
 
"It feels great to get our get back at them. We went out on a low point last year and we were able to kick them out on a low point," said Morgan State graduate designated player, Victoria Fletcher. "It's really important especially for the seniors. Doing everything for them is our biggest motivation right now."
 
The Lady Bears will now face #5 South Carolina State on Friday, May 10 at 12 p.m. The Lady Bulldogs upset #2 seed Howard, 6-3 on Thursday afternoon to eliminate the Bison.
 
Morgan State's scoring was highlighted by two two-run home runs, one in the first inning by graduate first baseman Melissa Paz and the other by sophomore Gianna Ettore in the fifth inning.
 
With the win the Lady Bears ended a five-game MEAC softball tournament losing skid, which dated back to the 2022 campaign when Morgan State dropped both games in the championship final. The win also gave the Lady Bears their 31^st win of the season, thus tying the school record for wins which was set by the 2022 team.
 
Graduate first baseman Melissa Paz got Morgan State going with a two-run homer to left field in the first inning. Later senior outfielder Mia Ewell, who was celebrating a birthday, would score from third on a wild pitch to increase the advantage to 3-0.
 
"I came in really locked in today. I was just doing my own thing and had my music going. I knew it was literally now or never, do or die what we always say," said Paz. "Coming in I was fully locked in. There was nothing that wasn't going to make me get us going to the next game tomorrow."
 
UMES (11-35) got on the board in the second when Logan Webster singled down the left field line to score Ameenah Ballenger.
 
The Hawks then added three runs in the third, capped off by a two-run homer by Ballenger to put UMES up 4-3. Ballenger would finish the game going 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBI to lead UMES.
 
Morgan State (31-18) would reclaim the lead with two runs in the bottom half of the third. Paz singled to right center to score Chandler Mitchell and Ewell doubled to right to score Nia Lewis to give the Lady Bears a 5-4 advantage.
 
Ettore would provide the Lady Bears with two more insurance runs, when she homered to left field with Fletcher on base, giving Morgan the 7-4 victory.
 
Ellie Bostedt got the win and improved to 7-5. Bostedt went 4.0 innings and struck out a game-high four batters. Fletcher picked up the save recording two strikeouts in three innings of relief.
 
"Coach Larry [Hineline] really understands that sometimes as pitchers we really need a confidence booster and he knew coming into this that's exactly what it's going to do for me," said Fletcher, who started yesterday's opener against North Carolina Central. "Once I get on a role it's really hard for me to stop. So, I am just glad that he had faith in me to go out there and finish the game for him."
 
Offensively, Paz continued her hot hitting going 2-for-3 with a run and a game-high three RBI. Fletcher went 1-for-1 with two runs and two walks, while Ettore finished 1-for-1 with a run and two RBI. Ewell finished with a hit, run and RBI, as the Lady Bears totaled seven runs on six hits, three walks and six RBI.
 
"I feel like I'm doing what I need to do to get our team going. I'm trying to be that leader and be that senior role model for this younger team because after I leave, I know it's such a young team and all I want them to know is that they have a big shoe to fill," said Paz, who has gone 5-for7 with a run and three RBI. "They're pretty much what's holding this team together once all our seniors leave. And especially for all our seniors, I want them to fill what it feels like to have that MEAC championship under their belt."
  
 
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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.