BALTIMORE, Md. (Feb. 13, 2025)--The Morgan State softball team will be back on the field this weekend for its second tournament of the season when it travels to Elon, N.C. for the Phoenix Invitational, hosted by Elon University. The tournament will take place Friday-Saturday, Feb. 14-15 at Hunt Softball Park. The Lady Bears will take on host Elon (1-4) and Penn (0-0) in the three-team tournament.
 
SCHEDULE (Morgan State games only)
Friday, Feb. 14, 2025
Morgan State vs. Penn | 11 a.m. | Live Stats
Morgan State at Elon | 1:30 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Video
 
Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025
Morgan State vs. Penn | 10:30 a.m. | Live Stats
Morgan State at Elon | 3:30 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Video

BEAR CLAWS: Morgan State (1-4) began the season defeating Notre Dame, 5-4 in the season opener at the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division I Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla. It was the program's first victory over a member of the newly constructed Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The Lady Bears then dropped their remaining four contests and enter this weekend riding a four-game losing skid, following losses to Pittsburgh (2-12), Kentucky (0-12), Bethune-Cookman (3-4) and Marshall (4-12 in six innings).
 
MSU VS. THE FIELD: Morgan State and Elon have met five times with the Phoenix holding an all-time series lead, 4-1 dating back to the 2015 season. The two teams last met during the 2023 season with the Lady Bears earning a 5-1 victory to end a four-game losing skid to the Phoenix…Penn and Morgan State met for the first time last season and split their doubleheader series at Liberty Classic in Lynchburg, Va. (Feb. 23). The Quakers won the first contest 8-7 in eight innings and Morgan State returned the favor with 6-3 win in Game 2.  
 
ON DECK: Morgan State will hold its home opener on Wednesday, Feb. 19, when it welcomes Bowie State for a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. at Lois T. Murray Field.

RIVAS NAMED TO NFCA ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Morgan State sophomore outfielder Amber Rivas was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division I Leadoff Classic All-Tournament Team (2/9). Rivas posted a .385 batting average over the opening weekend, recording five hits with one double, three RBI and a run scored in five games. She also tallied a walk and two stolen bases. A native of West Hills, Calif., Rivas recorded an RBI, walk and stolen base to help Morgan State defeat Notre Dame, 5-4 in the season opener. It was the program's first victory over an opponent of the newly constructed Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Rivas recorded her first hit of the season, which was a double and an RBI against Pittsburgh. She then went 2-for-3 at the plate against Bethune-Cookman and closed out the tournament with another 2-for-3 performance with a run and RBI and a stolen base in the finale against Marshall.
 
MORGAN TAKES DOWN NOTRE DAME IN SEASON-OPENER: Morgan State opened the season in the prestigious National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division I Leadoff Classic against Notre Dame and handed the Irish a 5-4 loss in the opener (2/7). The win was Morgan State's first-ever against a member of the newly constructed Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Notre Dame (0-1) entered the contest with an RPI ranking of 66^th, while Morgan State (1-0) was 183^rd. Playing in the Leadoff Classic for the first time in program history, the Lady Bears jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning. Morgan State would maintain its three-run advantage until the top of the fifth inning when the Irish scored three runs to even the score at 3-3. The Irish then added a run in the top of the sixth to pull ahead 4-3, its first lead of the contest. However, the lead would be short-lived, as the Lady Bears responded with two runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning, which proved to be the difference to give Morgan State the 5-4 victory. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Preseason Player of the Year and MEAC first-team pitcher and utility selection, Victoria Fletcher went 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and a walk. MEAC third-team selection Alison Keener also went 2-for-3 at the plate and scored a run.
 
2025 MEAC CHAMPIONSHIP: The 2025 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) softball championship tournament is scheduled for May 7-10, 2025 at NSU Softball Field, hosted by Norfolk State University.


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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.