Game 1: Morgan State 5, Howard 6
Game 2: Morgan State 0, Howard 13
Game 3: Morgan State 7, Howard 9
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 26, 2009)-What a difference a day can make for some and for others, a weekend can make. Less than 24 hours after firing its head coach, Howard responded with a three-game Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) weekend series sweep over Morgan State. Howard won Saturday’s doubleheader 6-5 and 13-0, before claiming a 9-7 victory over Morgan State in Sunday’s finale at Banneker Stadium.
Howard (15-26, 4-4 MEAC), which entered the series with a 1-4 MEAC record, was in sixth-place in the MEAC North Division and in danger of missing the league championships, before releasing its coach on Friday.
On the other side, all season long Morgan State had battled with playing games on a consistent basis, due to the many rainouts. Outside of a make-up game against Coppin State (April 18), the Lady Bears hadn’t played a game since April 4-5 against Hampton. However, the Lady Bears entered the Howard series atop of the MEAC North standings with a 5-1 league mark.
Morgan State (12-9, 5-4 MEAC) held a 2-0 lead in the first inning after Tamra Griffin’s single up the middle scored two runs. Howard would tie the score with two runs in the second inning, but the guests would add two more in the third to take a 4-2 lead.
The Lady Bears would extend their lead to 5-2 when Carolynn Howard doubled to left center field, scoring Devina Brown in the fifth inning.
Howard responded with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the score at 5-5 after a two-run single by Nicole Saez. Howard then scored the game winning run in the bottom of the seventh, when Courtney Johnson singled through the left side with two outs to score Lorae Robinson for the game winner.
Game 2 was all Howard, as the Lady Bison scored three runs in the first, four in the second and put the game out of reach with six runs in the third.
Young and Emily Johnson each homered for the Lady Bison. Young had a grand slam and finished with five RBI and two hits with two runs. Johnson and Saez each added three RBI apiece, including a two-run homerun by Johnson.
In Sunday’s finale, the Lady Bears jumped out to an early 3-1 lead, but Howard tied things up in the second inning.
A two-run shot by Nicole Saez in the fifth inning, gave the Lady Bison a 5-3 advantage. Morgan State added a pair of runs in the top of the sixth to tie the score, but the Howard bats came to life in the bottom of the inning, as the Lady Bison added four runs on five hits to take a 9-5 lead.
The guests tried to stage a comeback by adding two runs in the seventh inning, but it would not be enough.
Morgan State was led by Tamra Griffin, who finished 2-for-4, including two homeruns with two runs and a team-high three RBI. Kriston Gowan (2-for-4, HR, run, RBI) and Porsche Boddicker (2-for-2, run) each recorded two hits. Megan Johnson was charged with the loss and fell to 7-3 on the season. Johnson had three strikeouts.
Saez led the Lady Bison with a 3-for-4 performance, including a homerun with a run scored and a game-high four RBI. Carly Martin earned the win and improved to 5-12 on the season. Martin, who threw five strikeouts, surrendered two runs on five hits and walked two.
Morgan State will now head home for a 4 p.m. contest against Maryland Eastern Shore at Lois T. Murray Field. The Lady Bears and Hawks will conclude their three-game series with a doubleheader on Monday, April 27, beginning at 3 p.m.