Courtesy of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The No. 1 Bears of Morgan State University survived and advanced to the consolation finals after defeating the No. 5 Bulldogs of South Carolina State 3-2 in extra innings on Friday at the NSU Softball Field. MEAC Player of the Year, Victoria Fletcher, hit a single up the middle to score Ellie Bostedt to secure the victory.
The game opened with neither team scoring in the first inning despite the Bulldogs leaving a pair of runners on the bases while the Bears were sent back to the dugout in 1,2,3 order.
S.C. State hit back-to-back singles in the top of the second to put runners on first and second. Makayla Chisholm hit a sacrifice bunt to the right of the pitchers’ circle that advanced Jayla King and Aaliyah Williams into scoring position. Cameron Hall hit a single to right field that scored King while Williams moved to third. A Jade Hendricks double to center field scored Williams before the third out was recorded as the Bulldogs headed into the bottom half of the inning with a 2-0 advantage.
Morgan State left a runner on the bags in the bottom of the second while South Carolina State did the same in the top of the third as Taylor Ames-Alexander doubled to centerfield, before the teams both went down in order over the next inning heading into the bottom of the fourth.
MSU left two runners on base in the bottom of the fourth following a single from Victoria Fletcher and a fielder’s choice that Allowed Melissa Paz to reach the bag.
Both teams went down in order in the fifth inning while SCSU left a runner on base in the top of the sixth inning as Ames-Alexander hit her second double of the game.
Morgan State in the bottom of the sixth inning evened the score at two all as Fletcher hit an RBI sac fly to score Bostedt, while a single from Mia Ewell scored Nia Lewis for the game tying run.
The seventh inning saw both teams go 1,2,3 as the game went to extra innings. SCSU had one runner reach base as Kaylah Leslie reached on a bunt but the two batters that followed both flew out to center field ending the top of the eighth for the Bulldogs.
Morgan State led off the bottom half of the eighth with a line out to right field but Bostedt came to the plate and cranked a double to right field to get into scoring position. Fletcher came to the plate and placed a single up the middle driving in the game winning run and sending the Bears to the consolation finals against the No. 4 Eagles of North Carolina Central. Game is set for 3 p.m.
