Softball 4/2/2022 7:37:00 PM

Trojans to Earn a Pair of Wins Against Shaw

ETTRICK, VA – The Trojans are still atop the Northern Division standings as they stand tall at 6-2 in the conference and 1-1 in divisional play after splitting a doubleheader with Elizabeth City State. ECSU took game one by the skin of their teeth 3-2 but the Trojans came back out and won game two 8-6.

Head Coach Jameshia Smith and Assistant Coach Rasheeda Crew currently lead a squad that is scattered throughout the national rankings and conference rankings. The Women's softball team is currently ranked eighth in the nation (Leads Conference) in batting average (.360), 34^th in doubles per game (1.72), 32^nd in on-base percentage (Leads Conference) (.405), 24^th in slugging percentage (Leads Conference) (.525) and 9^th in triples per game (Leads Conference) (.56). Of 12 players on the team, seven players average a .300 batting average or better.

The Trojans are led by veteran Samantha Cunningham who leads the team in batting average (.523), OPS (1.383), doubles (7), ties for first in home runs (1), ties for first in RBI (14), on-base percentage (.588) and slugging percentage (.795). Cunningham is now fourth in the nation, first in the conference in batting average, fourth in the nation, first in the conference in on-base percentage and 41st in the nation, and first in the conference in slugging percentage.

One of the freshman sensations on this team, Hailey Darrington, currently hits .476 (second in the conference) while leading the team in stolen bases going 9-of-9 on the base paths with a big fly on the season. She is also third in the conference in slugging percentage (.738), fitth in on-base percentage (.511) and second in OPS (1.249).

Two-time CIAA Rookie of the Week, Alaijah Pratt, leads the team with 56 at-bats, 25 hits, 19 runs, 36 total bases, and four triples (Leads the conference) and 14 RBI. Pratt also ties for 43^rd in the nation and fourth in conference in batting average with a .458. Pratt ranks eighth in conference in slugging percentage (.643), seventh in OPS (1.101), third in runs scored (19), fourth in hits (25) and ninth in RBI (14).

Macy Beville wields a big bat as well as she also has a homer on the season batting a .419 (sixth in the conference). Beville also has 11 RBI so far and adds another 11 herself.

Alani Horton is currently batting a .404 and ties for first on the team in RBI with 14 (ninth in the conference).

The pitching rotation averages just 3.74 earned runs per contest, which ranks them second in the conference.

Alaijah Pratt has been lights out in the circle this season as a 3.41 ERA, which ranks her first on the team and second in the conference while she also leads the team and is second in the conference in wins with four. Pratt is 34^th in the nation in the fewest walks allowed per game with 1.02. The freshman is seventh in the conference in opposing batting average (.312), eighth in strikeouts (31), fourth in losses (2), tied for fourth in runs allowed (25), fourth in earned runs allowed (20) and second in walks (6).

Desmyn Owens is the ace of the squad as she leads the team in innings pitched with 45, batting average for opposing hitters with .258 (third in the conference) and 41 strikeouts. Owens ranks ninth in the conference in innings pitched (45), fourth in strikeouts (41), third in batters that struck out looking (14), third in wins (3), 10^th in hits allowed (49), 10^th in runs allowed (35), ninth in earned runs (24) and ties for first in home runs allowed (1).

Julia Jones leads the outfield with 33 putouts while Samantha Cunningham leads with 33 assisted outs on the season (seventh in the conference). Our Catcher, Machenze Flood, ranks sixth in the conference with 83 putouts and is ties for second with only three passed balls. The Trojans will look to clean up their play defensively as they have 29 so far this season.

Weekend Schedule
Sunday, April 3
Virginia State at Shaw
1:00 – 3:00 p.m. *Raleigh, NC *Wortdale Park

About Shaw
The Shaw Bears are 1-17 overall and 0-6 in the CIAA. The matchup against the Trojans will be the first action the Bears have seen since the CIAA Softball Round-Up. The squad took their first win of the season against St Augustine's 15-5. The Bears maintain a .246 from the plate with a .304 on-base percentage. Destiny Beckham has been a hard out all season as she currently leads her team in hits (20), doubles (1), Stolen Bases (9), slugging percentage (.460), at-bats (50) and batting average (.400). Beckham is currently on a 12-game hitting streak dating back to March 5 against Chowan. Syhia Marks is the ace of the rotation as she leads the team with a 4.57 ERA (sixth in conference). Marks has pitched 38.1 innings this season with 43 strikeouts (third in conference) and 25 walks. She allows batters to hit .278 against her (fourth in the conference), has allowed 47 hits in the season (seventh in the conference), she's allowed just 25 earned runs this season (ninth in conference) buts leads the conference in wild pitches with 12. She has earned a season-high 11 strikeouts against Winston-Salem.

Series History
The Trojans are 9-2 against the Bears in matchups dating back to 2011. VSU scores an average of 8.64 runs against Shaw. The Bears have won one of the last six matchups. The last matchup, VSU pummeled the Bears 15-2 in five innings after scoring seven runs in the top of the third inning and scored five in the top of the fifth.

Next Five Matchups