SALISBURY, Md. (March 23, 2025)--Morgan State graduate pitcher Victoria Fletcher threw a career-high 12 strikeouts to help the Lady Bears complete a three-game Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) series sweep of host Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) on Sunday afternoon, following a 4-3 victory at the Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex.
 
The series sweep was the first this season for the Lady Bears, who improved to 8-18, 4-2 in the MEAC. Maryland Eastern Shore fell to 2-22, 1-5 MEAC and has lost its last six contests.
 
A day after sweeping Saturday's doubleheader, where it scored a combined 27 runs on 26 hits, Morgan State would have to work a little to secure victory.
 
The Hawks struck in the first inning when Clarke Calvin reached first on an error, allowing Jaycee Holt to score and give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
 
Morgan State got going on the board in the top of the third, scoring three runs in the innings. Fletcher hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Nia Lewis to even the score at 1-1. Gianna Ettore then hit a two-run homer to put the Lady Bears ahead 3-1.
 
UMES pulled within a run at 3-2 when Calvin scored in the fourth inning on a passed ball.
 
Morgan increased its lead to 4-2 when Ettore scored on a wild pitch in the fifth inning for the Lady Bears' last run of the game.
 
The Hawks would not go away, as Holt led off the sixth inning with a triple to left field. Calvin's sacrifice fly to left field scored Holt for the third and final run of the game for the Hawks.
   
Fletcher (4-9) went the distance and got the win for the Lady Bears. Her career-high 12 strikeouts, surpassed her previous high of eight strikeouts at Mount St. Mary's (3/10/22).
 
Ettore led the Lady Bears with two hits, two runs scored and a game-high 2 RBIs. Cassie White was 2-for-2 and Hunter Newman went 2-for-3.
 
Holt finished 2-for-3 with two runs and Calvin was 1-for-2 with a run and RBI to lead UMES. Kassidy Oneail went the distance for the Hawks and recorded four strikeouts in seven innings of work.
 
Next Up: The Lady Bears will then be off until next weekend when they host South Carolina State (March 29-30) at Lois T. Murray Field. First pitch between the Lady Bears and Lady Bulldogs is at 1 p.m. on Saturday, followed by Game 2 at 3 p.m. Sunday's contest will start at 12 noon.


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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.