Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ORANGEBURG, S.C. – The South Carolina State softball team dropped two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference games to North Carolina A&T on Saturday at Lady Bulldog Field. The Lady Bulldogs fell 10-2 in the first game and 6-5 in nine innings in the night cap.
 
In the first game, A&T (9-16, 2-0 MEAC) scored eight runs in the top of the first inning with two outs. SC State (5-13, 0-2 MEAC) picked up its only two runs of the game in the first inning on an RBI double by Mikala Johnson and a walk with the bases loaded that scored Unique Whitehurst.
 
The Aggies got a run in the top of the fifth and one in the sixth to end the game after six innings. Janika May earned the win for A&T after pitching six innings and giving up four hits and two earned runs while striking out four.
 
Cecily Ruiz suffered her second loss of the season in an outing where she gave up five hits and eight runs (four earned) in two-thirds of an inning. Keirra Cromer relieved Ruiz in the first inning and pitched five and one-third innings. She allowed seven hits and two earned runs.
 
Game two was far more competitive with neither team scoring a run until the fifth inning. A&T got three runs in the top of the fifth and SC State scored one in the bottom of the frame on an RBI triple by Whitehurst. The Aggies took a 4-1 lead after the top of the sixth, but the Lady Bulldogs closed the gap in the sixth by scoring two runs.
 
SC State turned up the defense in the top of the seventh and got out of the inning with the bases loaded. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Johnson singled through the left side to get on base. Jada Richardson pinch ran for Johnson and scored two batters later on an RBI single by Tamaya McQueary to tie the game at 4-all and force extra innings.
 
After a scoreless eighth inning, A&T scored twice in the top of the ninth. SC State was only able to manage one run in the final inning which came by way of a home run to left center field by Richardson.
 
Maiven McKnight was the winning pitcher. She tossed a 12-hit, five run, nine-inning game. Jareece Sayles fell to 3-8 on the season with the loss after giving up 10 hits and six runs while striking out five in nine innings of work.
 
Deanna Sullivan led the Lady Bulldog offense in the second game by going 3-for-3 with a run and an RBI.
 
The three game-series concludes tomorrow with a single game at noon.