North Carolina Central University

SOFTBALL

(Game stories courtesy of Shippensburg University sports information)

Top-Seeded Lock Haven Rolls to 8-4 Win over N.C. Central
May 12, 2006

Box Score

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - Heather Johnson hit two home runs and drove in four runs to lead No. 1-seeded Lock Haven to an 8-4 victory over No. 8 seed North Carolina Central in the first round of the NCAA Division II Mid-Atlantic Regional held at Robb Field in Shippensburg, Pa.

Lock Haven (47-3), which cruised to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship last weekend, scored at least one run in each of the first five innings to hold off an N.C. Central (35-15) squad that earned a berth to the regional tournament after winning the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championship. 

Johnson's two home runs came in back-to-back trips to the plate in the third and fifth innings. Her bomb in the third frame was a two-run shot that broke a 2-2 tie. 

N.C. Central's Lakeshia Sheppard managed to tie the game in the top of the fourth after driving in a run with an RBI double and then scoring on a throwing error. 

However, Lock Haven quickly answers, scoring two runs in the bottom of the inning, and two more in the sixth to put the game out of reach. 

Jeanette Middlestead (15-2) went the distance for Lock Haven and allowed four runs, one of which was earned on four hits. Clarisse Steans (20-7) was tagged for the loss after giving up eight runs, five of which were earned on eight hits and three walks. 

Lock Haven advances to play Bloomsburg in the final game on Friday. Game time should start around 6 p.m. N.C. Central will take on California (Pa.) in an elimination game at 1:30 p.m. 

Box Score

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - Becky Mezyk of California (Pa.) hurled a five-inning no hitter, sparking the Vulcans to a 9-0 win and eliminating North Carolina Central from the NCAA Division II Mid-Atlantic Region Championship.

Along with Mezyk's solid performance, the California (25-16) received two-hit games from four players. Debbie Tedesco led the way with two home runs and four RBI. 

Cal scored two runs in each of the first three innings, giving Mezyk plenty of insurance. Tedesco put the game away for good with her second home run of the day in the top of the fifth inning. On the game Cal totaled 12 hits and took advantage of four N.C. Central errors. 

In five innings of work, Mezyk (14-6) struck out 11 batters and surrendered no hits or no walks. her counterpart, Clarisse Steans (20-8), was tagged for the loss after giving up nine runs, four of which were earned on 12 hits. 

With the victory, Cal advances to play Saturday, May 13 at 10 a.m., and will play the loser of the Shippensburg vs. East Stroudsburg game. N.C. Central, which was making its first-ever NCAA Tournament, ended its season with a 35-16 mark.