NCCU SOFTBALL TO HOLD SENIOR NIGHT WEDNESDAY

NCCU SOFTBALL TO HOLD SENIOR NIGHT WEDNESDAY
Reah P. Nicholson 04/20/10

Lady Eagles will host East Tennessee State in Durham

DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central University will conclude its home softball schedule on Wednesday, April 21 when they host East Tennessee State University for Senior Night in doubleheader action at Riverside High School in Durham, N.C. Game times are set for 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Due to a scheduling conflict at Thomas Brooks Park in Cary, N.C., where NCCU plays its home contests, the Lady Eagles will host the Lady Buccaneers at a local high school in Durham. Game times and dates have remained the same with the only change being in the venue.

Seniors Desanbra Franklin, Michelle Ishida and Kristen Schooler will be honored for Senior Night on Wednesday prior to first pitch of the first game as they are recognized for their outstanding accomplishments at NCCU.

Wednesday will mark the first meeting between East Tennessee State and NCCU this season and the second Atlantic Sun opponent that the Lady Eagles have faced this season. NCCU battled Campbell earlier this season as the Lady Camels swept the doubleheader in Cary, N.C. NCCU is 0-2 against the Atlantic Sun this year.

The Lady Eagles look to snap their five-game losing skid as they face a tough Buccaneer team that stands 16-30 on the year. ETSU is coming into the game having dropped back-to-back games to Kennesaw State. They have just one student-athlete hitting above .300 and a pitching staff that has combined for a 4.02 ERA.

NCCU is 7-33 on the season coming into the matchup. They have two student-athletes hitting above .300 and a pitching staff that has notched a 7.19 ERA. Two of their pitchers are throwing an ERA less than six. As a team, the Lady Eagles are hitting .244 with 129 runs, 241 hits, 39 doubles, nine triples, 12 home runs and 100 RBIs.

The Lady Eagles are led by the powerful duo of Desanbra Franklin and Andrea Searls, who are each hitting above .300. Franklin, one of three seniors on this year’s squad, anchors the offense as she leads the team in nine categories and is the only Lady Eagle to play in all 40 of NCCU’s contests.

She is hitting .347 on the season with 41 hits on 118 at-bats. The Piqua, Ohio, native has notched 22 runs, 12 doubles, six home runs and 24 RBIs, leading in all of those categories. She has a .619 slugging percentage and has a perfect fielding percentage. Franklin has also gone a flawless 4-for-4 in stolen bases.

Searls, NCCU’s brick wall behind the plate, has earned a .344 batting average with 32 hits on 93 at-bats. She has totaled 13 runs, five doubles, two triples, one home run and seven RBIs. She is one of three Lady Eagles with two triples this year. The sophomore catcher is a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen bases and has a .946 fielding percentage.

On the bases, the Lady Eagles are led by the lightning speed of Nadia Jefferies, who has gone 10-for-11 in stolen bases this season. She has anchored the team’s 46-for-48 mark in stolen bases. Ten of NCCU’s student-athletes have never been caught stealing with perfect stolen base percentages.

The NCCU pitching game is led by the throwing duo of Aurora Baker and Kayla McPeek. Baker, a sophomore transfer from North Carolina A&T State University, leads the team with a 4.97 ERA after giving up 36 earned runs and 85 hits in 50.2 innings of work. She has struck out a team-high 19 batters, while walking 20. She stands with a 1-7 mark on the season after 13 appearances and seven starts in the circle this year.

McPeek, a freshman from Westerville, Ohio, has notched a 5.86 ERA after allowing 60 earned runs and 120 hits in 71.2 innings pitched. She has fanned 15 batters and has walked 17. The freshman is 3-8 on the season, giving her the most wins of the NCCU bullpen. McPeek has made 18 appearances with 11 starts this year.

East Tennessee State comes into the contest with a 16-30 record. They are currently on a two-game losing skid after dropping a doubleheader to Kennesaw State on Senior Night by scores of 8-1 and 5-4. ETSU is currently ranked 10th in the Atlantic Sun Conference, just ahead of Belmont.

The Lady Bucs are hitting .249 on the year with 307 hits on 1,235 at-bats. They have tallied 161 runs, 48 doubles, four triples, 17 home runs and 141 RBIs, while going 55-for-62 in stolen bases. ETSU is led by the power hitting of senior Cheniece Cason, who is the only ETSU student-athlete hitting above .300 on the season.

Cason is the Lady Bucs most consistent batter, leading the team in seven categories. She is hitting .350 with 55 hits on 157 at-bats. The senior from Moreno Valley, Calif., has notched 34 runs, six doubles, four triples and nine RBIs, while sitting with a .439 slugging percentage and a .409 on-base percentage. She has played in all 46 of the Lady Bucs’ games and is10-for-14 in stolen bases, just one of two student-athletes to notch double-digits in steals.

The ETSU pitching staff is throwing a 4.02 ERA with 178 strikeouts. Their pitching staff is compiled of four student-athletes that are all throwing an ERA less than six. Leading the bullpen is Jessica Duncan with a 3.05 ERA. She sits 7-7 on the season with 24 appearances and 15 starts. Duncan has allowed 45 earned runs and 95 hits in 103.1 innings of work, while delivering 66 strikeouts. She is tied with Marissa Hardy for strikeouts.

Following Wednesday’s contest, the Lady Eagles will conclude the 2010 season with rival North Carolina A&T State University. NCCU will battle the Lady Aggies on Saturday, April 24 in doubleheader action at the Lady Aggies Softball Complex in Greensboro, N.C. Game times are slated for noon and 2 p.m.