ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (April 8, 2011) — The Lincoln University softball team rallied in its second game against Elizabeth City State on Friday afternoon, giving itself an outside shot at qualifying for the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) championships in two weeks.

Faced with a must-win scenario, the Lady Lions prevailed 10-8 at Vikings Field, erupting for a game-changing seven-run fourth inning to provide the impetus to the victory.

LU (3-15, 3-9 CIAA) dropped the first game 6-2 but the split netted the first Northern Divisional win of the season. With just two CIAA doubleheaders remaining, the Lady Lions at least three wins and some help to qualify for the divison's fourth spot in the conference championships.

In the second game, Sharay DuBose (Salisbury, Md./Parkside HS) (2-for-4) and Jasmine Baxter (Washington, D.C./McKinnley Tech HS) (2-for-3) each collected multi-hit games and an RBI. Baxter also scored two runs including the game winner as she stole home in the top of the sixth.

Lincoln entered the top of the fourth trailing 2-0 after giving up a run in home halves of the first and third innings.

Erin Rucker (Shaker Heights, Ohio/Shaker Heights HS) drew a one-out walk and stole second to start the rally. She reached third on a wild pitch. Mariah Liberty (Waterbury, Vt./Harwood Union HS) reached on a fielder's choice. Both would come home on a throwing error by ECSU shortstop Oasis Ellison on a ball struck by freshman Mariah Coates (Reading, Pa./Reading HS).

The inning continued as second baseman Erika Bell (Owings Mills, Md./Baltimore Polytechnic Institute HS) stole and second and third. Baxter, a senior first baseman, also walked. Still with one down, Baxter stole second and the throw across the infield allowed the speedy Bell to swipe home. The big blow came later in the inning when DuBose singled in Shira Miller (Seattle, Wash./Roosevelt HS) to put LU up 5-2.

The Lady Vikings (7-11, 4-were resilient, though. They responded to one in the fourth and four in the fifth to tie the game at 7-7 each. In the top of the sixth, Baxter began the LU's turn at the plate with a single. She came home from third on a double steal as DuBose stole second.

In all, Lincoln stole 12 bases with Bell and DuBose taking three each. The Lady Lions added two in the seventh for insurance.

Rucker (2-14) was able to minimize the damage done by five defensive errors behind her to pick up her second win of the season. She pitched her second complete game of the afternoon, giving up eight runs, six earned, on 10 hits while striking out three.

Up Next

The Lady Lions travel to Richmond on Saturday for an important doubleheader against Virginia Union starting at 12 p.m. Saturday will be Senior Day and Breast Cancer Awareness Day at the Oxford Athletic Association against Bowie State.  The home finale's first pitch is set for 2 p.m.

— LU —