MOUNT OLIVE, NC – The Winston-Salem State Rams (1-3) gave a solid effort, but the team could not get their offense going in an 8-0 five-inning road loss to the Mount Olive Trojans (1-2). The Rams were able to get 10 runners on base during the game, but the team could not get them home in the tough loss. 

The Rams had their fair share of struggles at the plate in the loss. As a team, WSSU was held to just five hits in the game. WSSU senior designated player/first base Shauntaja Dedecker led the way for the Rams when she went two-for-two at the plate with a walk. Sophomore catcher Alleigh Himes was one-for-one with two walks.

Though the Rams took the shutout loss, the team did have some offensive bright spots as well as some key defensive moments during the game. The Rams opened the game, allowing four first inning runs on back-to-back homers, but the team would not allow any more runs to the Trojans. In the second inning, a single was all that WSSU allowed. The Rams offense showed some life in the third inning when the team got back-to-back singles from senior Daijah Chambers and senior Shauntaja Dedecker. A walk drawn by sophomore Alleigh Himes loaded the bases for the Rams, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the WSSU threat. The Rams would allow another UMO score in the bottom of the third inning to fall behind 5-0. In the fourth inning, the Rams once again held the Trojan scoreless after a two-out fielding error by the Rams was followed by WSSU catching a UMO runner stealing and ended the scoring threat. The game ended in the fifth inning when the Rams allowed three Trojan runs. A two-run home run and a score on a WSSU throwing error ended the game and sealed the 8-0 WSSU loss.

WSSU junior Tia Robinson (0-2) took the pitching loss. She allowed eight runs to the Trojans (seven earned) on 11 hits. She had a strikeout.

With the loss, the Rams fall to 1-3 this season. The team will return to action, tomorrow, when they face the Alderson Broaddus Battlers in a 1:00 p.m. game before a 5:00 p.m. rematch with the Trojans. For more information on Rams softball, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (336) 750-2143 or log on to www.WSSURams.com.