Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls

Monique Jefferson's Three-Run Blast Earns JCSU Softball a DH Split With WSSU.

4/16/2016 7:42:00 PM

JCSU Sports Information

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 JCSU Softball Earns Doubleheader Split With Winston-Salem State

Charlotte, N.C. (April 16, 2016) – Monique Jefferson delivered a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning of game two to propel the Johnson C. Smith University softball team to a doubleheader split with visiting Winston-Salem State at Biddleville Park on Saturday afternoon.

Jefferson's heroics kept JCSU at the top of the Southern Division standings with a 6-2 record as the Golden Bulls improve to 10-12 on the year and 9-5 in CIAA play.

Down 2-1 entering the sixth inning, the JCSU bats came alive as sophomore Tia Greene (Huntersville, N.C.) led the inning off with a single to left field.  Junior 
Morgan Hasty (Salem, Ind.) then hit a grounder to the WSSU shortstop, who tried to get the force out at second, but her throw pulled the second baseman off the bag, allowing Green to safely slide in.  Following a fly out, Jefferson took the first pitch she saw over the left field fence to give JCSU the 4-2 lead.  The blast was the second on the season for the West Hills, Ca. native.

In the seventh inning, JCSU pitcher Melissa Vierra (Tracy, Ca.) forced a pop up to JCSU's Tia Mahoney (Hartwell, Ga.) for the first out.  She then got a grounder to shortstop for the second out but WSSU's Mercedes Hargett doubled down the right field line to bring the tying run to the plate.  After reaching third on a wild pitch, Vierra was able to get Katherine Zimmer to ground out to third to end the game.

Offensively, Greene led JCSU at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double, her fourth of the year.  Hasty went 1-for-3 with an RBI with Jefferson also going 1-for-3, plating three runs on her round-tripper.

In the circle, Vierra improved to 3-0 on the year, allowing nine hits and just two runs while striking out one.

In game one, WSSU jumped on JCSU early, plating nine runs in the first inning.  After a pair of Ram runs scored in the second and third inning to stretch the lead to 13-0, WSSU exploded for five more in the fifth to go ahead 18-0.  JCSU was able to spoil the shutout attempt in the bottom of the fifth, as Jocelyn Hernandez (Bloomington, Ca.) drove in Greene from third.  Greene reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the inning and advanced on a throwing error and a groundout.  WSSU's Mercedes Hargett then forced a pop-up to the catcher to close out the first game, winning 18-1.

The Golden Bulls will return to action on Sunday, April 17 when they travel to Southern Divisional foe Fayetteville State for their final CIAA doubleheader of the season.  First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Seabrook Park in Fayetteville.