Kawehi Chan had a huge day at the plate; going 6-for-6 with two homers and seven RBIs on the day.
Game One Box
Game Two Box
Charlotte, NC – The Johnson C. Smith University women's softball team defeated Livingstone College (12-8 / 14-10) in the first CIAA divisional home doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon at the Biddleville Park. JCSU improves to 5-16 overall and 5-6 in the CIAA, while the Lady Blue Bears move to 4-7 overall and 2-7 in the conference.
The first two innings of game one went scoreless. Due to some infield errors and a RBI single from Shannon Allen; Livingstone put two runs on the scoreboard at the top of the third. Junior right fielder
ShaDella Reese (Atlanta, GA) took base on balls then stole second base. Senior utility
Kawehi Chan (Honolulu, HI) doubled to center field to score Reese. Freshman pitcher
Ashton Byrd (Atlanta, GA) followed with a triple to bring home Chan and junior catcher
Samantha Smith (Whiteville, NC).
Junior left fielder
Elizabeth McElveen (Florence, SC) had an impressive debut at the plate with a RBI double up the middle to score Byrd. JCSU produced one more big shot in the inning from freshman center fielder
Britney Warren (Atlanta, GA); who tripled to right field to score freshman third baseman
Jasmine Jackson (Chester, SC). J.C. Smith had four hits and six runs scored in the third inning.
Johnson C. Smith held a 7-2 lead heading into the top of the fifth inning. Livingstone tallied five hits and five runs, including a 3 RBI triple from Janell John to tie the ball game (7-7). The Lady Golden Bulls quickly responded in the bottom of the inning. Warren got on base with a single then stole three bases including home to move JCSU ahead. Chan still had the hot bat, this time smashing a 2 RBI homerun for a 10-7 J.C. Smith advantage.
Livingstone scored another run in the sixth inning, but JCSU put up two run in the bottom. The Lady Blue Bears failed to get a hit or a run in the seventh falling to Johnson C. Smith 12-8. Junior pitcher
Tenesha Simmons (Melbourne, FL) is credited with the win on the mound earning four strikeouts. Senior utility
Allycia Watanabe (Waipahu, HI) stepped in and faced nine batters only allowing one run for the save.
Game two produced exciting offensive firepower on both sides. The climax of the contest took place in the third inning for both teams also. JCSU held a 4-2 advantage going into the third. Livingstone looked primed and ready to take control after Shanice Wilcox nailed a grand slam homer just before the close. The Lady Bears already had four runs prior to the grand slam for an eight run, seven hit top of the third.
Down 10-4 in the bottom of the third, J.C. Smith did not blink or choke at the plate. The Lady Golden Bulls orchestrated nine hits and seven runs, including a 2 RBI homerun from Chan to head to the fourth inning up 11-10. Livingstone only managed two hits with no runs for the remainder of the game. Meanwhile, JCSU scored one run in the fourth and two in the sixth to account for the 14-10 final.
Watanabe won the game on the mound, while Byrd did most of the heavy lifting. Byrd faced 21 at-bats with seven walks and three Ks.
Pretty much the entire team had nice stat lines, but Chan seemed to be in the zone. Chan had two homers, seven RBIs, and six hits off six at-bats on the day.
JCSU continues their fast-paced divisional schedule on Thursday, March 24th against Saint Augustine's College. First pitch in this double header is slated for 3:00 p.m. inside Biddleville Park.
