Spartanburg, South Carolina-The three days that the EWU softball squad spent at the CIAA/SIAC Challenge left no doubt that the road through the HBCU Division II national championship runs through Jacksonville, Florida. The defending SIAC and back-to-back HBCU National Champs wrapped up a perfect run through the Challenge over the weekend.  After Friday wins over Fayetteville State and Claflin, the Lady Tigers defeated Virginia State and Elizabeth City State on Saturday then outlasted CIAA champion Bowie State and Winston Salem State on Sunday. 

SATURDAY: Edward Waters 9, Virginia State 1 (6. Inn.):
Edward Waters got things started in the bottom of the first with four runs crossing the plate. Laura Scott scored on a passed ball, Jade Mention and Katie Goodin came home on a VSU error, and an RBI single from Gracie Mejia, gave the Purple & Orange a 4-0 lead. EWU added to their advantage in the bottom half of the second inning on Jade Mention's two-RBI single to to make it a commanding 6-0 Lady Tiger lead.

The Trojans brought one run back in the top of the fourth on an RBI double, but Edward Waters pushed the lead back to six in the bottom half of the fourth with a Mention RBI single to make it a 7-1 ballgame. The Lady Tigers brought the contest to an end in the bottom of the sixth on a Goodin two-RBI single to make it a 9-1 contest and giving EWU a run-rule victory.

Jodasea Peterson took the win in the circle going six innings, allowing six hits, one earned run, and struck out six. Jade Mention led EWU at the plate going a perfect. 3-for-3 with three RBI's.

SATURDAY: Edward Waters 18, Elizabeth City State 3 (5 Inn.):
Edward Waters had to play from behind early in the top of the first inning as an RBI single from the Vikings gave ECSU an early 1-0 lead. That would be the last time that EWU would trail as the Lady Tigers responded with five runs in the bottom half of the inning. A Brooke Rice three-RBI double, an Aja Acala RBI double, and Acala coming home on a wild pitch gave the Lady Tigers a 5-1 lead. The hits would keep on coming in the bottom half of the second with eight runs scored for EWU. Katie Goodin smacked an RBI single to right field, Jade Mention hit a two-RBI double, Kylah Gardner hit an RBI double, Jamiah Holmes hit an RBI fielder's choice, Laura Scott hit an RBI single, and Katie Goodin hit an RBI single gave EWU a commanding 13-1 lead.

EWU added five more in the bottom of the third with a Rice RBI double, a Chloe Stepherson RBI double, and a Goodin RBI triple made it an 18-1 ballgame. Elizabeth City State brought back two runs in the top of the fourth but the contest was brought to a halt after five innings giving EWU another run-rule victory. 

Katie Goodin led EWU going 3-for-4 with five runs scored. Shai-Ann Currie took the victory going 5.0. innings, allowing nine hits, three earned runs, one walk, and one strikeout.

SUNDAY: Edward Waters 9, Bowie State (9. Inn.):
The feature contest of the Challenge was between last year's SIAC Champion Edward Waters, and CIAA Champion Bowie State. Kayla Saunders started EWU off on the right foot in the top of the first inning with an RBI single to give EWU a 1-0 lead. Bowie State responded in the bottom of the third with two runs scored to take a 2-1 lead. The Lady Tigers fired back with two runs in the top of the sixth with a Kylah Gardner RBI double and a Gracie Mejia RBi to allow EWU to retake the lead at 3-2. EWU added three more runs in the top of the seventh inning with Laura Scott's RBI single and a two RBI double from Gardner that gave Edward Waters a 6-2 lead. The Bulldogs added four runs in the bottom of the seventh to force the contest to extra innings.

Edward Waters reclaimed the lead in the top of the eighth but Bowie State came back with a run to push the game to a ninth inning. Jade Mention cashed in on a two RBI single in the top of the ninth to once again give the Lady Tigers a 9-7 advantage. Bowie State scored a run in the bottom of the ninth but not enough and giving Edward Waters a dramatic one run lead in extra innings.

Jodasea Peterson gave EWU 9.0 solid innings and struck out four batters to take the victory for the Lady Tigers.

SUNDAY: Edward Waters 8, Winston-Salem State 5:
EWU scored the first four runs of this contest with an RBI fielder's choice from Jade Mention, a Kylah Gardner two-RBI single, and an RBI ground out from Aja Acala gave the Lady Tigers a 4-0 lead.  The Purple. & Orange added another run in the bottom of the second with a Gardner RBI single to take a 5-0 advantage

Winston-Salem State had a huge inning in the top of the fourth with five runs scored to knot the contest up at 5-5, but Edward Waters came back themselves in the bottom half of the inning with three runs. Brooke Rice's bases-loaded RBI walk, Kylah Gardner stealing home, and Chloe Stepherson's RBI double gave EWU an 8-5 advantage that they would maintain through the seventh and wrapping up an unblemished run through the Challenge. 

Shai-Ann Currie took the win going 4.0 innings, allowing eight hits, five earned. runs, two walks and a strikeout.

Edward Waters will return home on Sunday, February 25th for a doubleheader against rival Florida Memorial with first pitch slated for 1:00pm.

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