RALEIGH, N.C. – Saint Augustine's University battled bravely in losses to Chowan University and Virginia Union University in the CIAA Softball Championship Tournament at the Walnut Creek Softball Complex on Thursday, April 28, 2016. The final scores were 3-2 in eight innings to Chowan and 7-3 to Virginia Union.

The losses ended the Lady Falcons' season, but they return everybody back next year including several student-athletes who were key members of the 2015 CIAA title squad. Their championship heart was on display against both teams Thursday.

Entering the double-elimination tournament as the Southern Division No. 4 seed, the Lady Falcons nearly pulled out a victory over Chowan, the Northern Division champion. In a rematch of last year's championship round, the Lady Falcons led 2-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.

Chowan tied the score in the seventh and scored the game-winning run in the eighth. In the top of the eighth, the Lady Falcons loaded the bases with one out but were unable to push a run across home plate.

Akera McPhaul (So./Greensboro, NC) was 2-for-4 hitting with one RBI for the Lady Falcons. Kris Neal was 2-for-4 with a double and one run scored for Chowan.

The Lady Falcons scored their runs in the fifth inning for a 2-1 lead over Chowan. Danyelle Duckworth (Fr./Orange Park, FL) scored on McPhaul's RBI groundout and Jasmine Rios (So./Greensboro, NC) scored on an infield error.

In the second game, the Lady Falcons took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Meranda Zanni (Jr./Phoenix, OR) scored on an RBI single by Marley Parker (So./Langley, British Columbia) and Parker scored on an RBI single by Korey Hill (Jr./Virginia Beach, VA).

Virginia Union, the third seed in the Northern Division, scored four runs in the bottom of the first and never trailed again. The Lady Falcons pulled within 4-3 in the second inning when Rios scored on McPhaul's RBI, but Virginia Union scored three runs in the fourth inning for the final score.

Zanni was 2-for-4 with one run scored and Rios was 2-for-3 with a triple and one run scored for the Lady Falcons. The trio of McPhaul, Parker and Hill each knocked in a run. Shaquanda Brown led Virginia Union with two RBIs and one run scored.