Game 1: Morgan State 4, Howard 7
Game 2: Morgan State 5, Howard 13 (6 innings)
Bear Shots
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 30, 2011)-The last time the Morgan State softball team played at Howard was in 2009. The Lady Bears entered that three-game series in first-place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) North Division standings, while Howard sat in sixth-place. Morgan State would drop the three-game series to the Lady Bison, leading to a downward spiral, as the Lady Bears ended the season dropping seven of their last 10 games and finished fifth, missing out on the MEAC Tournament, while Howard would go from last to first, capturing the MEAC North Division title.
Two years and four days later the Lady Bears again returned to Howard in first-place in the league standings, this time tied with Delaware State. Howard, while not in last place was in fourth and held the final spot to advance to the tournament.
In the end it would again be Howard sweeping the Saturday afternoon doubleheader against the visiting Lady Bears, defeating Morgan State by the scores of 7-4 and 13-5 in six innings at Banneker Field. With the losses, combined by Delaware State splitting its doubleheader against Hampton, the Lady Bears fell to second-place behind Delaware State, while Howard moved into a third-place tie with Hampton.
Howard concluded the day scoring 20 runs on 26 hits, including six home runs, while holding Morgan State's high powered offense of late to just nine runs on 13 hits and four home runs.
The host Lady Bison (15-22, 6-5 MEAC) struck first in Game 1, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning, including a three-run homer by Christine Sborz (2-for-3, run, 3RBI) to give Howard a 4-0 lead.
Morgan State (14-23, 7-4 MEAC) got on the board in the third inning when Tamra Griffin (1-for-4, 3RBI) countered with a three-run shot to left field, cutting the deficit to 4-3.
After Howard added a run in the bottom half of the third, Morgan State again pulled within a run on a bunt single by Lydia Walther-Rodriguez (3-for-3, RBI), which scored Devina Brown (1-for-3, two runs) to make it a 5-4 game. But the Lady Bears would get no closer.
Howard shortstop Rebecca Kirshner (2-for-4, three runs, 2RBI) blasted a two-run shot in the sixth inning to secure the 7-4 victory for the Lady Bison.
In Game 2 Howard again jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first inning. Marisa Coats (3-for-4, two runs, 2RBI) doubled in the first run and later scored on a single by Kirshner. Ciera Gordon (1-for-3, run, 2RBI) later hit a two-run homer for the four run advantage.
Morgan State responded right away, scoring three runs in the top of the second to pull within 4-3. Boshia Richardson (1-for-3, run, RBI) had a solo homer and Amber Frame (2-for-3, two runs, 2RBI) doubled in Shareday Christina (1-for-3, run), before later scoring on a single by Brown.
But the Bison bats would go right back to work, adding three runs in the bottom of the third and four more in the fourth to quickly extend their lead to 11-4.
Morgan State added its final run of the day when Walther-Rodriguez (1-for-3, run, RBI) homered in the fifth to make it an 11-5 game. Howard added a run in the fifth and ended the game with a lead-off home run by Coats in the bottom of the sixth.
Morgan State will try to avoid the series sweep as they conclude the weekend with a single game against the Lady Bison on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for noon at Banneker Field.
