Lady Rams split doubleheader with NC Central

The Lady Rams softball team defeated NC Central 10-1 in the first game by dominating at bat at Randy Jones Field March 23. 

But a collapse in the second game cost the Lady Rams, 7-5.

In the victory, Winston-Salem State dictated the pace the entire game with nine hits to NC Central's four.

The Lady Rams had two hits and scored in the first inning, taking an early 1-0 lead when senior Whitney Hall hit a double to drive freshman Brittany Lane home. 

However, the Lady Eagles defense left the Lady Rams scoreless in the second inning. WSSU also kept NC Central with no score after two innings.

During the third inning, the Lady Rams added three more hits and returned to their scoring ways from the first inning. Hall recorded her second double in the game, leading in junior Kayla Woodbury, extending the Lady Rams lead 2-0.

"We broke their defense down," Woodbury said after a game-high of    4-4. Woodbury scored two runs and added four RBIs.

"Hitting was contagious in the first game."

After her second double, Hall did not remain on second base for long, crossing the plate shortly after an RBI double from freshman Nikki Lynch. The Lady Rams extended to a controlling   4-0 lead after three innings.

WSSU did not score in the fourth inning while NC Central's score trimmed the lead 4-1.

The roles reversed in the fifth inning. NC Central was held scoreless again, but the scoring spree reappeared for WSSU.

In the bottom of the fifth, freshman Britney Cato recorded a double RBI. WSSU also scored on NC Central's only error of the game, a costly throwing error which led to a score from Cato.

Junior Bonika Terry contributed a sacrifice bunt, which drove junior Ashley Shepherd for an additional score.

Woodbury closed out the game with a three-run homer that notched the victory for the Lady Rams, in the first of the doubleheader.

Lane gave up one earned run, allowed four hits, but allowed no walks. 

She also added five strikeouts. The win improved Lane to a 2-4 record, as she pitched the game's entire five innings.

However, the second game of the doubleheader did not favor Lane or the Lady Rams.

WSSU began with another strong first inning, this time jumping out 3-0. Terry initiated the lead with a single RBI that sent Lane to home plate. Woodbury added to the first inning's points with a two-run homer.

The home run, the second of the day for Woodbury, the tenth of her career, became the most career home runs by a Lady Ram in eight seasons.

NC Central answered by tying the game 3-3 in the top of the second inning, but the Lady Rams posted two more runs in the bottom of the second. Terry's streak at bat continued as she hit a two-run score, also sending Lane home, to recapture the lead 5-3.

No runs were scored in the third, but with four hits, NC Central snuck in three more scores in the fourth inning, taking a 6-5 lead.

The Lady Rams were unable to relinquish the lead, as they were held scoreless for the remainder of the game. The Lady Eagles added one more run in the sixth inning, totaling four unanswered, to win the second of the doubleheader 7-5.

"Fatigue was not a factor," Woodbury said, regarding the latter part of the doubleheader.

"Our defense faltered in the second game. When they [NC Central] had runners on base in the second game, it made a difference.

Despite an error-free performance from the Lady Rams, NC Central accumulated 13 hits compared to WSSU's eight. 

The Lady Eagles committed three errors.

NC Central had pitching rotation in the second game, while Lane (2-5) stayed on the mound an additional seven innings for the Lady Rams.

Lane finished the second game with five strikeouts, 13 hits, and seven earned hits, as the Lady Rams fell to    3-10 as the Lady Eagles went to 5-19.

Woodbury ended 2-3, with a run scored, and two RBIs in a losing effort. In addition to a personal highlight on her WSSU career, Terry finished the game 2-3, two runs scored, and three RBIs.