Morgan State University Athletics

NORFOLK, Va. (May 6, 2026)—Top seeded Howard scored 11 unanswered runs to cruise to an 11-2 victory in six innings over fifth-seeded Morgan State in a quarterfinal game of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Championship on Wednesday evening at TowneBank Softball Field.
 
The fifth-seeded Lady Bears, fresh off their opening round win over fourth-seeded Norfolk State in the morning, was presented the task of taking on the top seed and defending champion Howard in the quarterfinal.
 
The game featured the past two MEAC champions, who have also combined to win four of the last five championships with Morgan State claiming the 2021 and 2024 titles and Howard following up the year after Morgan's victories, by winning the 2022 and 2025 crowns.  
 
Morgan State (15-27) broke a scoreless game in the second inning, when Denver Obermeyer doubled to left field to score Alison Keener for the first run of the game.
 
Olivia Garner then hit a solo shot in the top of the third inning over the left field fence to extend the Lady Bears' lead to 2-0.
 
Howard put together five runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 5-2 lead. The Bison scored their first run complement of a throwing error. Olivia Pagano made a spectacular diving catch running to her right to get Maryn Jordan out then got up and nearly threw Aniyah Whipper out, who slid under Alison Keener's tag at home to tie the score at 2-2.
 
Cheyenne Castille doubled to left center to score Lauryn Jones, giving Howard its first lead of the game. Howard closed out the third inning scoring when Makyia Taylor hit a two-run homer to left center to extend the Bison's lead to 5-2.
 
The Bison weren't done, as they then added a run in the fourth when Jordan doubled to left center and two more runs in the fifth when Tori Trotter doubled to right center to increase their lead to 8-2.
 
Howard put the game away in the bottom of the sixth when Taylor hit her second home run of the game, this time a three-run homer to center field to give the Bison the 11-2 victory.
 
Taylor paced the Bison with two hits, both home runs, two runs scored and 5 RBI. Whipper totaled two hits and scored a game-high three runs.
 
Aiko Conaway got the win in the circle to improve to 12-9. She went 5.1 innings, surrendering two runs on three hits and struck out two strikeouts.
 
Nia Lewis, Obermeyer and Garner accounted for the Lady Bears' three hits in the game. Millie Cousins (10-11) went 2.2 innings and recorded two strikeouts.
 
Morgan State now finds itself in the consolation bracket where it will face the loser of the No. 6 Coppin State and No. 3 South Carolina State game. Due to the weather, the game was moved from Thursday and will now take place on Friday, May 8 at 3 p.m.
 
 
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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.