Bowie State Softball Sweeps Virginia State 10-5 and 13-0 in CIAA North Clash

PETERSBURG, Va. – The Bowie State University softball team picked up CIAA Northern Division victories at Virginia State University on Saturday (3/28) afternoon by scores of 10-5 and 13-0.

Freshman Emily Lewis (Aberdeen, Md.) paced the Lady Bulldogs with four hits and five RBI over the two games. Bowie State (7-11, 5-3 CIAA, 2-0 North) pounded out 28 total hits in the twin bill.

Virginia State (4-15, 2-6 CIAA, 0-2 North) had six plays to recorded two hits each in the doubleheader. Jamilia Smith (Halifax, Va.) had the biggest hit, a three-run homer in game one for the Trojans.

Bowie State wasted no time, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the first game. Senior Cassandra Clayborne (Damascus, Md.) started the game with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Danielle Watt (St. Leonard, Md.). Freshman pitcher Nicoleen Ochoa (Madison, Ohio) reached on a Virginia State error followed by Caitlin O’Neill (Elkton, Md.) walk. Lewis stepped up and slapped a single, scoring Ochoa for a 3-0 advantage.

The Trojans took their first and only lead of game one in the bottom of the 3^rd inning following a 3-run homer by Smith, giving Virginia State a 3-2 advantage.

The Lady Bulldogs pushed two more across the dish in the top of the 3^rd inning to shift the advantage back over to the visitors at 4-3. However, Virginia State tied the game at 4-all in their half of the third.

Bowie State’s Ochoa hit her first collegiate homer of the season, a two-run blast in the top half of the 4^th inning. With two outs, Lewis doubled followed by another double, this time by freshman Hannah Lewis (St. Leonard, Md.), scoring Lewis and created a small cushion at 7-4.

Virginia State added one to the scoreboard in the bottom of the 5^th inning via Janay Joseph (Eastern Shore, Va.) that scored Smith.

The Lady Bulldogs added three insurance runs in the top of the 6^th inning to seal the 10-5 victory. Three Virginia State 6^th inning errors assisted in Bowie State’s scoring opportunities.

Like the first game, the Lady Bulldogs struck first in the top of the 1^st inning of game two. Clayborne led off with a double and scored on three straight wild pitches for the early 1-0 lead. Watt and Ochoa followed with back-to-back triples, forcing Virginia State pitcher Rebecca Elder out of the circle.

By this point, it was clear Bowie State was on a mission and ended their share of the 1^st inning with a 4-0 lead.

O’Neill began the 3^rd inning with a single followed by Lewis’ second homer of the afternoon and a 6-0 advantage.

The Lady Bulldogs blew game two wide open in the top of the 4^th inning, scoring six runs on six hits and put the final nail in the Trojans coffin in the top of the 5^th inning to claim the 13-0 win.

Bowie State rocked four different Virginia State pitchers, holding a 16-4 hit advantage in the final contest of the afternoon.

Clayborne and Lewis led Bowie State in game two with three hits each and five different Lady Bulldogs recorded a pair of hits each.

Bowie State returns to action on Sunday (March 29^th) making a stop at conference foe Virginia Union University. First pitch of the doubleheader between the Lady Bulldogs and Lady Panthers is 12 noon.